Destined For Loneliness
by Kitai Matsuru
Summary: -COMPLETE-! --Sequel to Premonition-- B:L, Leon:OC(Risai), some Br:N. Takes place a year after Premonition. War has broken out on the planet, and the heros who locked Toran away have to battle once more against an agent out for revenge.
1. A Mild Reunion

Well, here it is.  You guys asked for this, so I'm writing it.  I'm really happy that you guys like this stuff.  I promised you guys a sequel, so here it is.  Thanks for making my goal and you even went beyond that.  I'm very Very happy.  When I first started Premonition, I only had the first two dream sequences and I wasn't sure what to do with them, but I came up with that.  I hope that this will go just as well.

To Sakura Scout:  Leon and Risai are definitely gonna be a couple.  I guess you were thinking the same thing I was when I first decided to come up with a sequel.  And thanks for sticking with me^.^

That also goes to all of you reviewers.  You made this worth doing, and I'm writing for you guys.

Disclaimer:  I don't own Zoids, just the characters I create and the fic.

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It was late and the sky was dark, but you wouldn't be able to tell.  The sky was covered in dark clouds, and a huge storm raged outside.  Lightning lit up the sky constantly, followed by the booming of the thunder.  In the desert, the Blitz team's base was almost completely dark.  Most of the lights were turned off and the computers were shut down for the night.  The only light was coming from the television, which the entire team seemed to be sitting around.  The Fluegle team had come to visit earlier that day, but decided to stay overnight, considering the storm.  Bit and Leena sat on one couch, Leena leaning against Bit.  Doc and Leon were sitting in chairs, Brad and Naomi sat on another couch and Jamie sat on the ground.  They all seemed to be engrossed with the movie.  From the screams that could be heard from it, it was easy to tell it was a horror film.  Scream 3 to be exact.  (A/N was there a #3?  I'm not into horror movies…).  With the storm ragging outside and the movie on TV, it seemed like the perfect setting for a horror movie.  The Blitz team wasn't really afraid of too much of anything anymore.  They had been through a lot in their battling career and were usually prepared.  The Backdraft had disappeared from battles since their incident a year ago.  Battling was normal now, but it was still exciting.  The Blitz team just kept climbing towards the top, but recently, there hadn't been any battles.  No one seemed to be battling much at this time, and not many knew why, but the Blitz team looked at it as a vacation.  They spent a lot of time going to the main attractions whenever and wherever they could.  They often spent time at the beach or at resorts.  They also watched a lot of movies, and tonight, it was Scream 3.  It seemed fitting for the stormy and dark night.  It was getting to a really scary part in the movie and everyone was tense, preparing to jump.  A huge strike of lighting lit up the sky, followed by a boom of thunder that seemed to shake the whole base.  All of them jumped at this, startled by the sound.  Another flash came and the TV became fuzzy, and not long after went out, causing the room to go dark.

"This is just great," said Bit.

"Right when it was getting good," complained Jamie.

"What do we do now?" asked Leena.

"I don't know," answered Bit.  He stood up, but it was pitch black in the room.  He walked carefully, but not carefully enough and tripped over Jamie, who was sitting on the floor.  Bit fell with a thud.

"What happened?" asked Naomi.

"Ouch…" said Bit.  He stood up, but then walked into the chair Doc was in, tipping it over, making an even bigger thud.

"Bit!  What do you think you're doing?" said Doc.

"Sorry.  I'm trying to get to my room to find a flashlight."

"Here's one," said Jamie.  He grabbed a light from the small coffee table in front of him.  He would have found it sooner if Bit hadn't walked into him.  He turned it on and shined it on Bit, who was now standing again.  They all stood up and began to walk to Bit's room to get another flashlight.  They soon had one for everybody.  They all returned to the room they had started in.

"You know, this is the perfect setting for a horror movie," said Leena, a little shaky.

"What do you mean?" asked Leon.

"Think about it.  The lights are out, it's storming outside.  The next thing you know, the phone will ring and soon we'll be chased around by the…"

"Come on," cut off Naomi.  "First off, it's just a movie and second, the phones aren't even working."

"That's even worse."

"Why is that?" asked Bit.

"Well, then he wont even bother calling.  He'll knock on the door and then when someone answers it, he'll kill them."

"You're crazy," said Jamie.

"Yeah, and besides," said Brad.  "It's storming out and it's the middle of the night."

"I agree," said Bit.  "No one's that crazy."  Just then, the sound of someone knocking on a door could be heard.

"Alright," said Leena.  "Whoever did that, it wasn't funny."

"I don't think it was one of us," said Leon.  They then heard it again, this time louder.  It was coming from the door.

"Should we answer it?" asked Jamie, who was now getting scared.

"No.  Maybe they'll go away," said Leena.

"I highly doubt it," said Brad.

"Let's just answer the door," said Doc.

"I'm up for that," said Bit.  They all walked to the door and the pounding came again.  Whoever it was, they sounded desperate.  Bit reached for the handle.  Even he was hesitating.  He put his hand on it and turned it.  Cautiously, he pulled the door open and all of them were stunned, an expression of pure shock on all of their faces.  In the doorway stood two very familiar girls, but only one was standing, a little hunched over.  The other was being held up.  It was easy to tell that she was unconscious.  The one who was standing looked at all of them with big, pleading blue eyes.  Her blue hair was drenched, along with her clothes.  The same could be said for the other.  The two teams seemed speechless.

"Risai?" questioned Bit.  The other girl had long red hair and was easily remembered.  "And Miharu."

"Please, help me," she pleaded.  She motioned to the girl she was struggling to hold up.  They helped Risai carry Miharu in.  They noticed that both of them were in ruff shape.  Risai had scratches from head to toe, but Miharu was worse off.  They took Miharu to the medical section of the base and quickly cleaned and treated her injuries.  Risai stood back and waited.  They soon finished with Miharu and she was now sleeping peacefully on a bed in the medical center.

"Thank you," said Risai.

"It's no problem at all," said Bit.

"Now it's your turn," said Leena.

"I'm fine, really."  It was easy to tell that she was lying.

"Oh really?" said Leena, with doubt in her voice.  "What about this, and this, and that?" she asked, as she pointed to the three huge cuts she had.  One was on her arm, another on her leg, and one on her back.  Risai was also holding her left wrist with her right hand.  Leena pried her hand off of it and noticed that her wrist was swollen.  "It looks like it's sprained."

"How long have you been like this?" asked Jamie.

"A few days."  They sat her down and cleaned her cuts and bandaged her wrist.  After they finished, they all headed back to the main room and sat down.  They were all shivering, but none more than Risai.  It was cold in the base without the heaters on and her soaking wet clothes didn't help much.

"You should really change clothes.  You'll catch a cold," said Leena.

"I'm fine, really."  They all grabbed some blankets and sat down.  Risai was still shivering.  Despite the way things were right now, the teams were happy to see their friends again.

"How long has it been now?" asked Bit, a grin on his face.

"A year, I think," replied Risai.

"It's good to see you guys again," said Leena.  She then realized something and couldn't help but ask.  "Why isn't Taban here with you?"  When she noticed the look on Risai's face, she regretted asking.  Risai seemed hesitant.

"He…he was taken…taken by the Backdraft."

"What?" they all asked, surprised.

"The Backdraft is back?" asked Bit.

"No, you don't understand."

"Then explain it to us," said Doc.

"Alright.  You know about the war that broke out, right?"  They all nodded.  "It's between the two sides, North and South.  They both declared war."

"But why?"

"We don't really know yet, but things got more complicated.  The ZBC received a request, asking them to back the North.  They accepted, but word got out about it and so the remainder of the Backdraft decided to back the South.  Now, it's just like the war we fought all those years ago.  The ZBC and the Backdraft have turned this war into another one of their battles.  No one even remembers what the original war was for anymore, but it's easy to tell that the North and South don't mind at all.  I think the war was originally about the ZBC and the Backdraft anyway.  The North side was standing for the ZBC and the South was for the Backdraft, and since neither of them would start a war, they did it for them."

"How sad," said Leena.

"Yeah.  I was hoping that since the ZBC was around and the Backdraft was nearly gone, that there wouldn't be any need for a war, but I can see I was wrong."

"But…what about Taban?" asked Naomi.

"Like I said, they took him.  We were in the middle of a battle.  It wasn't that far from here, actually.  Our zoids were badly damaged and during the confusion, they took him.  He was protecting us at the time it happened.  He's always been like that.  We were injured during the battle and this was the only place we could think of going to."

"Well, you know you're always welcome here," said Doc.

"Thank you."

******

It was now 1:00 am and the storm hadn't stopped yet.  It was dark in her room, being lit by only one candle.  She could tell that they were all still up.  The sound of footsteps could be heard as they walked down the halls.  She was lying on her bed, not really wanting to sleep.  She was still cold since she didn't feel like climbing under the covers.  The cold didn't bother her much, since her mind was racing right now.  She thought about the fact that Taban had been taken by the Backdraft.  It bothered her, and scared her at the same time.  She didn't notice it, but she had tears in her eyes and they gently cascaded down her face.  This surprised her, but she soon found herself crying completely now.  Her body was shaking from both her crying and the cold.  She didn't even hear the footsteps that were approaching her room.

"Are you alright?"  Risai stopped sobbing and sat up on her bed.  She looked to see Leon standing in the doorway.  She quickly wiped away the tears.

"I'm fine," she replied, which was clearly a lie.  Leon walked into the room.

"You sure?"

"Yeah.  It's Leon, right?" she asked.

"Yeah."  He sat down next to her.

"Please, don't mention to Miharu that I was crying.  Her and Taban are always telling me that an agent can't show weakness.  We have to be strong."

"I won't, but what's wrong?"

"I was thinking about my brother.  I'm worried about him.  What if they do to him what they did to me?  What if I have to fight him?"

"I don't think they will.  From what we were told, that stone they used was stolen from the ZBC, so they probably don't have any more."

"I guess, but what if…what if he's already dead?"

"You shouldn't think like that.  You of all people should be able to tell that he's alive.  You can feel him, can't you?"  Risai thought about it and gave a weak smile.

"Yeah, I guess I can."  She looked up at him.  "Thanks."

"No problem."  He got up and walked to the door.  "You should really get some sleep though.  You look tired."  He smiled and walked out.  Risai laid back down in her bed and stared at the ceiling.

"What do I do now?  I can't leave until Miharu wakes up, but what then?  The ZBC probably already found and repaired our zoids."  She thought back to a year ago and the battle that ended the Backdraft group, or so they thought.  "Maybe I should…maybe I should ask them."  And with that thought, she pulled the covers over her and fell asleep.

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There's the first chapter.  I hope you like it.  It took me a while to write it and I had to change my original idea, cause it just didn't work.  Well, that's all for now.  I'm sorry for spelling mistakes, cause I know I sometime miss them.  Well, enjoy and I'll write the next chapter soon if you guys like it.

Audi^.^


	2. Sickness

Well, I've been gone for a while, so I wasn't able to put this up.  I woulda done it sooner, but…well, you know.  I don't start school for one more week, but that's too soon for me.  I won't be free anymore! : (  It bites.  Well, here's the next chapter.

Disclaimer:  I don't own Zoids, only the characters I make.

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The sun rose high in the sky the next morning.  The clouds had gone to storm somewhere else and it looked like it would be a nice day.  The power was back and the sounds from the TV proved it.  Risai slowly opened her eyes and looked around.  She felt cold for some reason.  She climbed out of bed and immediately wished she hadn't stood up.  She had a headache and the cold feeling was still there.  She ignored her headache and walked down the hall.  'I should have changed clothes last night.  I feel horrible,' she thought to herself.  She new everyone was already up, so she did her best to not look the way she felt.  She walked out into the main room, where everyone was sitting.  They had already eaten and were now watching TV.  They all looked to her.  Risai smiled as she saw that Miharu was awake.

"It's good to see you're up Risai," she said.  Risai stayed where she was.

"How are you feeling today?" asked Leena.

"Better," lied Risai.  She studied their faces and she guessed she must have been bad at lying.

"You sure?" asked Leon.

"I'm fine, really."  She walked over and sat down next to Miharu.  "There's something I have to tell you though.  I was going to mention this last night, but it slipped my mind."

"What is it?" asked Bit.

"I was sent here with a request from Charles Jordan, one of the leaders of the ZBC.  He wanted to deliver this message personally, but sent us instead.  Unfortunately, we were caught up in a battle on our way, but now I can tell you.  This is a message to both the Blitz and Fluegle teams.  We, the Zoid Battle Commission, request your help in the battle against the Backdraft."

"What?  They want us to join the war?" asked Jamie.

"Yes.  You see, our side is loosing, so we have been requesting the help of teams to join our side.  This may interest you.  We delivered a request to some friends of yours, who are now participating in this war as well.  The Fire Star team."

"So, Rick's team joined the war?" asked Bit.

"Yes," said Miharu.  "Please, we didn't want to have to involve any of you in a war.  We, more than anybody, know what it's like to fight a war, but we really need the help.  At this rate, the Backdraft may win."

"Will us being there really make that big of a difference?" asked Leena.

"We believe it will.  Remember, a year ago, we put an end to the Backdraft's main forces.  You guys are hero's and we'd really appreciate it," said Risai.

"If you really don't want to, you don't have to accept.  We're not forcing you; this is merely a request from the ZBC."

"Well, I think we should," said Bit.  "I know I'm going."

"Well, if you're going, I'm going too," acknowledged Leena.

"Count me in," said Brad.  Everyone looked to him oddly, expecting him to say something about money.  "What?" asked Brad.

"Then I guess I'm coming too," said Jamie.

"Well, you have the cooperation of the Blitz team," said Doc.

"Thank you," said Risai.  She looked to Naomi and Leon.  "What about you guys?"

"Okay, I'm in," said Naomi.

"Same here," said Leon.

"Thank you.  This means a lot to us, really, it does."  Risai stood up, but instantly sat back down, holding her forehead.

"You sure you're okay?" asked Bit.  She stood back up and gave a weak smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine.  Don't worry."

"Sorry we ate without you.  Are you hungry?" asked Leena.

"No.  No thanks."  She was still holding her forehead as she walked out of the room.  'Why do I feel so horrible?' she asked herself.  She felt cold and tired and her headache wasn't getting any better.  In fact, it was getting worse.  She stopped walking and leaned against the wall and slowly slid down it.  The pain was unbearable and she felt so cold, yet hot at the same time.  She was so hot that she was feeling cold.  'This can't be good.'  It was driving her crazy and the more she thought about it, the more her head hurt.  She also felt extremely tired, even though she had already slept a good 9 hours.  'What's wrong with me?'  She tried to stand back up, but she suddenly felt weak.  She fell back down to the ground and against the wall, causing a thudding sound to be heard.  The others came into the hall and found Risai sitting on the ground, holding her head.  They all got down around her.

"What's wrong?" asked Leena.

"My head hurts," said Risai.  Her voice was quiet.

"You look pale," said Bit.  Risai didn't respond to that.  Leena put a hand to Risai's forehead.

"Risai, you're burning up," she said.

"I'm so cold," said Risai as she shivered and pulled herself into a small ball.  She was still holding her head.  "So tired."

"You need to get to your room.  Can you walk?" asked Naomi.

"I think so."  Risai let go of her head and pushed herself up.  She leant against the wall.  Her head felt like it was splitting apart.  She tried to walk, but just slumped back against the wall again.  "I'm sorry Leena, I should have listened to you last night."

"It's alright, really.  You need to get to your bed though.  If you're tired, you should rest."

"I know."

"I'll go get some medicine for your headache," said Jamie.  He walked off towards their medical vicinity.

"I'll get her room ready," said Naomi.  Miharu went with her.

"You know, you should eat something," said Bit.  "I'll make some soup."  He walked off to the kitchen, followed by Brad.  Bit wasn't known for his cooking, so someone had to keep an eye on him.  Doc was nowhere around, since he was in his room, playing with his zoid models by now.

"Risai?  You need to get to your room," said Leena.

"I know."  She tried once more to stand up and succeeded, but she wasn't able to even take a step before falling over again, but this time, Leon caught her before she hit the ground.  "Thanks."

"No problem."  He then picked her up.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Taking you to your room."  He smiled to her, which caused her to blush slightly.  He walked down the hall and soon reached her room.  He walked in and set her on her bed.  There was a glass of water and some pills already on the table near her bed.  The heater had been turned up a little as well.  She took the pills and lied down.  Leon smiled and turned to walk out.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."  He left the room and closed the door behind him.  Risai lied there for a while, but then fell asleep.

******

The door to her room opened once again and in walked Leena, carrying a tray with soup and water on it.  She was surprised to see that Risai was sitting up in bed.

"You're supposed to be sleeping," said Leena.

"I know, but I'm not tired anymore."

"Then you should eat something."

"I guess."  Leena set the tray on the small table near the bed.

"Miharu said that we'll be leaving tomorrow.  You think you're up to it?"

"Yeah.  I'll be better by then, I promise."

"You don't have to promise."

"Sorry."

"You don't need to apologize either."

"It's a habit.  I'm forever doing something wrong or else people don't think I'll listen, so they make me promise stuff."

"But you're a good agent, aren't you?"

"I guess."

"Do you like being an agent?"

"I don't know.  People would normally think it'd be fun to live forever and to be able to do the things we do, but I'd love to go back to the way things were."

"You'd rather be like us?"

"I'd love it.  I want to be normal.  There's too many rules that go along with being an agent."

"But from what I heard from Taban, you're really good.  You were the youngest of them, weren't you?"

"Yeah." 

"And you were one of the best, weren't you?"

"I guess."

"Then what's wrong?"  Risai didn't say anything.  She seemed to be thinking.  She closed her eyes and thought back a little.  In her mind, she could see a boy with cerulean, spiked hair and eyes to match.  He was smiling.  Then she heard the sound of a gunshot and her eyes flew open again, an expression of pure fear on her face.  Leena noticed the look on Risai's face.

"Is something wrong?" asked Leena.

"N-no, nothing.  I'm fine," she answered.

"Well, I gotta get going now.  Hope you feel better."

"Thanks."  Leena got up and left the room, closing the door behind her.  Risai lied back down on her bed and stared at the ceiling.  "Sorry Rainer.  I really blew it."  She turned towards her soup and sat up again.  "Guess I should eat before they start worrying about me again."

******

It had gotten late and the sun was starting to set.  The door to her room opened again and Leena walked back in with another tray.  Risai sat up to face her.

"Why do sick people always get soup?" asked Risai.

"I don't know," said Leena.

"Sick people should get to eat what they want, since they're sick and all."

"I agree."  They both just sort of laughed at this.  "Well, at least you're feeling better."

"Yeah, I guess I am.  Must be the medication.  That, and I can't let sickness get the best of me.  Taban is always telling me I have to be strong and not let things stop me."

"That's good advice.  You really think highly of him, don't you?"

"Well, he's my brother.  We have our problems, but we get along well.  What about you and Leon?  Do you guys ever fight?"

"Now that you mention it, not really.  Every once in a while, yeah, but otherwise we get along well."  Just then, a knocking sound was coming from the door.  They both turned to look and Leon was standing in the doorway.

"Hey Leena.  Dad says dinner's ready."

"Coming."  Leena walked over to the door.  "Enjoy the soup."

"You know it."  She smiled and then Leena left the room.

******

"How've you guys been?" asked Miharu.  "I mean, what have you all been doing since the last time I saw you?"

"Battling.  That, and going on vacations," said Bit.

"What about you?" asked Leena.

"Working, but we get to take vacations too.  We've been trying to catch up on lost time."

"You mean with Risai?" asked Jamie.

"Yeah.  We've been apart from her for a long time, so we're doing the best we can to make up for it all.  Especially her.  She's doing everything she can, and sometimes she goes overboard."

"It's the thought that counts though," said Bit.

"Yeah, I suppose it is."

"I find it sort of hard to believe that she got sick," said Naomi.  "I didn't think you guys could."

"We can, but it happens rarely.  Risai is stubborn, so she often ends up doing things like this.  She risks her safety because of her stubbornness.  I think it has something to do with the old war.  She sticks to rules and regulations now, which isn't normal for her."

"What happened to change her?" asked Leon.

"We don't know.  She doesn't talk about it.  It happened around the same time that our friend, Rainer, was killed."

"You think it has something to do with it?" asked Leena.

"I'm not sure.  It's hard to say.  War can change people.  The things you experience in zoid battles could never prepare you for war.  I'm really sorry.  I never wanted any of you to have to experience something like war.  We had hoped that with the ZBC, wars wouldn't happen, but the Backdraft messed that plan up."

"It's fine though.  We don't mind going into this war," said Bit.

"You guys sure?  You can still decline."

"We're sure.  We wanna help."

"Thanks."

******

It was dark out now and the stars shined brilliantly in the sky.  A gentle breeze was present outside.  On the roof of the base, Risai sat silently and stared at the stars.  The two moons were the only things lighting up the pitch-black sky.

"Do you want to be sick or something?"  Risai spun around quickly and saw Leon approaching her.  She breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's just you," she said.  She turned around again.  "Why do you ask?"

"Because it's freezing out here.  Your fever will get worse if you stay out here too long."

"I know, but I don't care."

"Well you should."  He sat down next to her and looked up at the stars.  He then looked to her.  "You still thinking about your brother?"

"Yeah.  I can't help it.  I miss him.  He's the only family I have.  He's taken care of me for almost as long as I can remember."

"Really?  What happened to your parents?"

"My mother was in a car accident when I was 5.  It's strange though.  I still miss her, after all these years.  I can still remember her face, her hair, her voice, everything.  It's my father that I don't remember."

"What happened to him?"

"I don't know exactly.  Whenever I used to ask Taban about it, he would change the subject, but I think I know what really happened, or why he left anyway."

"Why?"

"He was afraid.  He couldn't handle the responsibility of taking care of us.  My father didn't like me."

"I'm sure that's not true."

"But it is.  Taban won't say it, but dad left because of me.  He never wanted me.  I didn't matter to him.  He probably would have gotten rid of me if it hadn't been for mom."

"I don't think he would have."

"You didn't know him like I did.  Taban won't talk about it, because he knows it's true."  She hugged her knees and then pulled them closer to her, as if she was trying to hide from it all.  "I hope nothing happens to him."

"He's fine and you know it.  Like I said before, you can feel him, can't you?"

"Yeah, but I'm afraid that that feeling will go away."

"You shouldn't think like that."

"I know."  She then laughed quietly to herself.  "I don't know why I just told you all that.  I don't usually talk about it, but I feel better now.  Thanks."

"No problem.  Now come on.  You need to get to sleep."

"I know."  They were soon off of the roof and back in the house.  Risai walked back to her room and sat down.  She hadn't finished the soup yet, but decided not to bother.  She lied down on her bed and closed her eyes.  'We leave tomorrow.  I have to go back to war.'  She didn't like the thought, but she had no choice.  'I wish I could be normal.'  And with that last thought, she fell asleep.

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Okay, so there wasn't much action in this chapter.  I'm sorry about that, but there will be some eventually.  I hope you enjoyed this.  I recently came back from an anime party.  We watched Zoids: Chaotic Century, Slayers, and the Escaflowne movie.  Many of you probably have no clue as to what I'm talking about, but that's okay.  Well, it's late and I gotta go now.

Audi^.^


	3. Setting Off

Hi!  I'm so sorry that this took so long, but I've been discouraged lately, for reasons I don't feel like mentioning.  Please read this and please also check out my other stuff too.  Hope you like it.  Enjoy^.^

Disclaimer:  Check last chapter

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The next morning rolled around quickly and it looked to be another beautiful day.  It was already 10 o'clock and everyone was already up.  Jamie was getting breakfast ready as Risai walked into the kitchen.  Everyone was sitting at the table.

"Good morning," greeted Leena.

"Good morning," responded Risai.

"How are you feeling?"

"Much better."  She walked over and sat down just as Jamie brought out the pancakes.  He set them down and then sat down himself.  Everyone was already getting what they wanted from the stack before he even made it to his seat.  They all ate happily; all of them too busy eating to talk.  Soon enough, they had all finished and the stack was completely gone.

"Well Jamie, congratulations," said Brad.

"Yeah, you always seem to make the right amount," said Bit.

"Thanks guys," thanked Jamie.  They all took their plates to the kitchen and then walked into the main room to sit down.

"I don't mean to spoil the mood or anything, but is everyone packed and ready?" asked Risai.

"Yep," they all answered.

"And you guys are sure about this?" asked Miharu.

"I think we've already answered that question," said Naomi.

"Sorry," said Risai.

"Like I said before, you don't have…" started Leena.

"To apologize, I know," said Risai.  They both just smiled about it, no one knowing just what they were talking about.

"We'll be leaving soon, so you should prepare everything and load it all into the Hover Cargo," said Miharu.

"Alright," said Doc.  "Come on team."  He stood up and the rest of the Blitz team followed to go get their stuff and to load their zoids.

"What about the two of you?" asked Risai.

"We have a Gustav," responded Naomi.

"Alright," said Miharu.  Just then, it hit Risai that they were missing something.

"Uh, Miharu?" she asked.

"What?"

"We left our zoids in the middle of the desert."

"I know that.  You, of all people, should know that isn't a problem."  She motioned to the bracelet.

"Oh yeah," said Risai.  "Guess I forgot about that."  She put her hand behind her head and smiled innocently.

"Well, we should get ready and go call our zoids."

"Okay."  The two of them stood up and began to head towards the hanger, followed by Leon and Naomi.  They got there as the Blitz team began loading their zoids into the Hover Cargo.

"We'll go get our zoids," said Leon, as he and Naomi went over to their Gustav.  Risai and Miharu called their zoids. (A/N  I don't feel like going through that again.  You know how it works.)  Soon enough, everyone was ready to leave, and so they did.  Since the Gustav and Hover Cargo couldn't move as fast as the zoids could, Risai and Miharu had their zoids stay at the same pace.  Their zoids were walking.  In the cockpit, Risai was slouching in her chair, the restraints off.

"Great," she said to herself.  She was obviously bored.  "It took us nearly 3 days to get all the way out here."

"Don't complain," said Miharu over the com-link.

"But at the rate we're going, it'll take at least a day and a half, and that's if we don't run into any trouble on the way."  Just then, another com-link popped up, revealing the Blitz team's faces, all of them trying to get in the picture.

"So where is it that we're going?" asked Bit.

"To the main camp of our forces," responded Risai.

"Where is that?" asked Leena.

"I know what you're getting at and it will take at least a day and a half to get there."

"How'd you know my next question?" asked Leena.

"Because it's the kind that I like to ask."

"Well, since it's going to take so long, why don't you two load your zoids in the Hover Cargo," suggested Doc.  "There's still plenty of room."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Alright."  She turned the com-link off.  "Hey Miharu, did you here that?"

"Yeah."

"It's alright with you, isn't it?"

"Of course."

"Then let's go."  They both stopped their zoids, the Phoenix landing near the Genosaurer.  Since they were leading, the Gustav and the Hover Cargo stopped as well.  Soon enough, the zoids were loaded into the Hover Cargo and they were once again on their way.  They all decided to watch a movie for now, so they all sat down on the couches and began to watch whatever was on.

"Will it really take that long to get there?" asked Jamie.

"Well, if you think about it, it took us nearly 3 days to get to your base and we were on foot.  I'm guessing it'll take half that time if we travel like this," said Risai.

"That makes sense," said Brad.  There was then a moment of silence.

"So…what should we do?" asked Bit, breaking the silence.  "There isn't anything good on."  He was still flipping through the channels.

"Hey Dad?" asked Leena.  She looked to Doc, who was sitting at a table playing with his zoid models.  

"What?"

"Didn't you say you were going to put a game room in here?"

"Yes."

"When are you?"

"What?"  He turned around to face Leena, finally paying attention to what she was saying.  "The game room?  Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you.  I already finished it."

"Cool!" exclaimed Leena.  She stood up and began walking out of the room, followed by everyone else.  They walked down the hall for a while and then came to a room that was filled with different kinds of entertainment.

"Whoa…" they all said in awe.  There were virtual battle simulations, video games, a pool table and a foosball table.  Not to mention pinball machines.

"Man, where did your dad get this stuff from?" asked Jamie to Leena.

"I don't know," said Leena.

"Well, why are we just standing here?" asked Bit.  "What should we do first?"

"I have an idea," said Miharu as she walked towards the foosball table.  "Anyone up for foosball."  They all smiled and walked over.

"Okay, so who will be on whose team?" asked Jamie.

"How about boys vs. girls?" suggested Risai.  All of them were getting excited about this.

"Sounds good to me," said Leena in a mischievous way, a smirk spreading across her face.

"Alright then, you're on," said Brad.  

"Just be ready to loose," said Bit.

"We're gonna win," said Jamie.  Even he was in the spirit of this.

"I don't think so," said Miharu as they all walked to their sides of the table.  "The game is soccer.  Let's see if you guys can back up that talk."  They began to play and after only 10 minutes, the girls were ahead by a good 10 points.

"Well, looks like you guys are all talk," said Leena.

"Just you wait," said Bit.  "We're gonna make a comeback."  After 10 more minutes, the girls were still leading, only this time by 15 points.

"Let's face it," said Risai.  "There's no way you're going to win.  Just give up."

"I don't think so," said Jamie.  Five more minutes later, the score was 10 to 25.

"We're still leading," said Leena.

"Yeah, but not for long," said Bit.

"Come on.  We've already got 25 points," said Miharu.

"Let's play to 30," suggested Jamie.

"You're on," said Risai.  They played for about 5 more minutes and the game was over.

"Man, we beat you big time," said Miharu.

"That was way too fun for me," said Risai.

"Good game," said Brad.

"Yeah," agreed Jamie.

"How'd you guys get so good at this?" asked Bit.

"Practice," said Risai, as she sat down in one of the chairs in the room.  "And a lot of free time."

"The ZBC has rooms like this," said Miharu.

"Cool," said Bit.

"What next?" asked Brad.  They were now all sitting, deciding what to do next.

"What time is it anyway?" asked Leena.

"Around 2," said Risai.

"We've got a lot of time left," said Bit.  They all thought for a while, until Bit came up with something.  "Why don't we have a pinball tournament?"

"Sounds good," said Brad.

"I'm in," said Risai.  Everyone else nodded as well, so they went over to the wall of pinball machines.  There were 3 machines, so they split up into groups of two.  Bit and Jamie were on the first machine, Brad and Leena were on the second, and Risai and Miharu were on the third.  The first game to end was between Risai and Miharu, Miharu being the victor.  The next to end was Bit's and Jamie's, Bit being the victor, and Brad won his game.

"Okay, now what?" asked Leena.

"Yeah," said Jamie.  "How do we do the rest of the tournament?"

"I'm thinking," said Bit, which took a while.  "Well, we need one more person to even this out, so who got the highest score out of you three?"  He pointed to Jamie, Risai, and Leena.  Leena had gotten the highest, so she joined them.  Miharu was facing Brad and Leena was facing Bit.

"Don't think I'll go easy on you, just because you're my girlfriend," said Bit.

"And I'm not cutting you any slack either."  Bit won against Leena and Brad won against Miharu.  It was the finals.  The game lasted a while, 30 minutes to be exact, but in the end, Brad won.  He seemed very pleased with this.

"When did you get so good at pinball?" asked Jamie.

"I don't know.  I'm just a natural, I guess," responded Brad coolly.  They all decided to hold more tournaments, finally finding the cure to their boredom.

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Okay, I know.  Not much action.  This chapter took a while, okay?  It was hard.  I hope you guys are liking this, cause I'm having fun still.  School starts after Labor Day, so I don't' know when the next update will be.  It actually depends on my mom.  She said only on weekends will I be allowed to go on the computer, but I don't' think that'll happen.

Please, review!  It'd be nice to have 15 reviews when I write the next chapter.  I don't think you guys can do it though, but I'd like to be proved wrong, since I do know everything ^_- (;   Well, gotta go.  Remember: REVIEW!!! PLEAZ!

Audi^.^


	4. Camp Out

I love writing so much and you guys have been so encouraging.  I hope I've been able to please you with this so far.  This chapie has a plot advancement, so I hope you like it.  Sorry if you got bored with the last one.  It was just something to pass the time.

Disclaimer: see last chapter.

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It had gotten really late and the sun was beginning to set.  Everyone was out of the game room and back at the bridge of the hover cargo.  Not long after, it was dark out and the stars shined brilliantly above, surrounding the two moons of Zi.  They were all staring out the window.  It was around 7:00 pm and everyone was getting a little hungry.

"I think we should stop here for the night," said Risai.

"Why?" asked Bit.

"Because it's getting late, and besides, we're making much better time than I thought.  We're only 6 hours away now."

"Wow, we are making good time."

"And also, it's dinner time.  We should stop here.  It's quiet."

"Well, what should we have for dinner tonight?" asked Jamie.  They all thought for a while, but it was Leena who came up with something.

"Let's have a camp out.  You know, we can have hotdogs, roast marshmallows.  It'll be fun!" said Leena happily.

"Sounds like a great idea," said Miharu happily.

"It's been a long time since we've had one of those," said Risai as she smiled.

"Then it's settled," said Bit.  "We should tell Leon and Naomi about this.  Let's stop now."  Doc brought the hover cargo to a halt and the Gustav stopped as well.  A come link popped up between the two.

"What's up dad?" asked Leon.

"We're stopping here for the night.  We're going to have a camp out," said Doc happily.

"Sounds good," said Leon with a smile.  "We'll meet you guys outside, okay?"

"Okay."  The com-link turned off and everyone began to gather the food they would need.

"Are we going to sleep outside too?" asked Jamie.

"That's what you do at camp outs," responded Leena.  She went into one of the cargo rooms and found some sleeping bags.  She grabbed all of them and handed some to Brad and Bit when she made it into the kitchen.  They all walked out of the hover cargo.  It was surprisingly nice outside.  It wasn't too cold or too hot, but just perfect.  Leon and Naomi were already outside and waiting.

"Hi guys," said Naomi.  "What's for dinner?"

"Hot dogs," answered Brad as he set down the sleeping bags that Leena had made him carry.

"And smores!" said Bit happily as he set down his load as well.

"That sounds good," said Leon.  Soon enough, everyone was outside and the supplies had all been put down.  They were all just standing around.

"Okay…so now what?" asked Jamie.

"Um…" started Leena.

"You're the expert here Leena.  What now?" asked Bit.

"Well, we have to start a fire," she answered.

"With what?"

"Wood."

"Where are we going to get wood?" asked Naomi.

"Don't we have one of those portable burners Doc?" asked Jamie.

"We should," he said.  "I think there's one in the kitchen.

"I'll get it," responded Bit as he ran off towards the hover cargo.

"Bring back those hot dog sticks, okay?" shouted Leena after him.

"OKAY!" he yelled back.  They all began to grab some hotdogs out of the bags and in no time at all, Bit had returned with the sticks and the burner.

"I'm back," he announced.

"Okay, then let's get this started," said Leena.  They set up the burner and everyone took one of the sticks and put their hotdogs on it.  They then all sat down around the burner and began to roast hotdogs. (A/N okay, this burner is huge, you know, like a normal campfire, okay? Just wanted to clear that up.)  They began to talk about things that had happened in the past year and about how much they had missed each other.

"So, Bit and Leena, planning on getting married?" asked Miharu, with a smirk on her face.  Both Bit and Leena blushed.

"Not right away," said Bit.

"Yeah, I mean, we're only 17," agreed Leena.

"But you are planning to eventually?"

"Eventually.  We'll let fate decide that," responded Bit.

"Well, just make sure to invite me," said Miharu.

"Of course," said Leena with a smile.

"And don't forget to invite us to yours either," said Bit with a smirk.

"What do you mean?" she asked.  It then hit her and she blushed a shade of red to match her hair.  They all began laughing.  "It's not like that," she defended.

"Come on.  Do you think we're blind?" asked Naomi.  They all laughed a little more…well, all except Risai.  She seemed to find the fire more interesting.  This war had brought back a lot of bad memories.  Mostly about the 6 of them.  Toran had betrayed them, Rose disappeared, Rainer…died.  Miharu almost died, she, Risai, had been kidnapped, and now her brother was in trouble.  'I can't afford to lose anyone else,' she thought to herself.  She still felt lonely, even with her friends…but were they really her friends?  Only a year ago, she had tried to kill them countless times.  She had killed many through the years of her life, and that was a long life.  And now those people were all sitting with her, around a campfire.  Had they really forgiven her that quickly?  She barely knew them, and vise versa.  'I don't understand…why?'  Now she was so confused that she almost didn't hear someone call her name.

"Risai?" asked Leena.  She lifted her head, snapping out of her trance.  The look on her face showed that she was confused.  They were staring at her.

"What?" she asked.

"I just wanted to tell you that your hotdog was burning."  Risai looked to the hotdog and it was burning.  Almost all of it was black.

"Ooops," she said quietly to herself.  She quickly pulled the stick back and then did something stupid.  She touched the hotdog, which indeed was hot.  She quickly pulled her hand back and stuck her finger in her mouth.  It hurt and this wasn't helping.  They all stared at her.  Risai was on the verge of tears and it wasn't from the pain.  'What's wrong with me?' she asked herself.

"You really seem to be out of it," said Miharu.  "What's with you?"  That was the same thing she was wondering.  She held back her tears and slowly pulled her finger from her mouth.  It wasn't that bad of a burn once she looked at it, but it would leave a white mark for a while.

"Nothing, I'm fine.  I just panicked," she covered up.

"You sure?" asked Bit.

"Yeah."  They all ate their hotdogs and then made smores.  Risai seemed to be better now as she laughed with the rest of them.  Bit had caught his marshmallow on fire and was trying to blow it out, but for some reason, it didn't work.  They laughed as he panicked for a while, but then stuck it in a cup of water he had.  They laughed even more when he pulled his soggy, black marshmallow out of the cup.  They soon were eating their messy smores and afterwards, they decided to get some sleep.  They all took a sleeping bag and set them out so that the girls were all lined up and the guys were all lined up, all of them facing the same direction.  (A/N hope that made sense.)  They all crawled in and soon fell asleep…all but Risai.  'Why am I the only one upset like this?  Why isn't Miharu?' she asked herself mentally.  'Why can't I stop thinking about it?'  Realization then hit her.  'Is it because…I'm alone?'  She thought a little more and realized it was true.  'I wish I could change the past, but I can't.  It'll always follow me, no matter what…like a shadow.'  She didn't want to just lie there, so she got up and out of the sleeping bag.  She began to walk away, but didn't get far.

"Where do you think you're going?"

She stopped in her tracks and turned around.  Leon pushed himself up on his elbows and looked at her with a confused stare.

"It's none of your business," she responded, a little coldly.

"Gee, don't bite my head off."

"Sorry."  She walked back over to her sleeping bag and sat down.

"What's with you?  You've been acting differently."

"What do you know?  You don't know me."

"Come on.  You weren't like this before."

"I don't usually feel like this either," she responded.

"Why?"

"I don't know.  I feel…empty."

"Empty?"

"I miss my brother.  I never feel alone when he's around.  I wonder why that is."

"Because he's your family."

"But Miharu is like family too, but I still feel lonely."

"Well, you have us.  We're your friends."

"Why?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you my friends?  I tried to kill you guys a year ago, and now you've forgiven me?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"We know it wasn't your fault.  You're really…nice, Risai.  We all know that."

"Thanks.  I feel a little better now."

"That's good," finished Leon.  Risai got back in the sleeping bag again.  "So what's it like at the battlefield?"

"It's hard and kind of scary.  You never know what'll happen.  But it's…horrible.  Too many people die out there.  And not all battles are fought in zoids.  Many take place on the ground as well."

"We've never fought like that."

"You'll all be trained.  It won't take long."

"Easy for you to say."

"I had to go through it too."

"Oh."  It was quiet now as they both just stared at the sky that was now pitch black.  The only lights were the stars above.

"I'm getting tired now," said Risai as she yawned.

"Yeah and it's late," said Leon.  "Goodnight Risai."

"Good night," responded Risai as she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

******

It was pitch black out as a single form ran from what looked like a huge base.  The figure was limping slightly as he ran, but the base already had the lights flashing and the sirens sounding.

"Great," he said.  His blue eyes concentrated on the road ahead of him and his sliver like blue hair shined with the moonlight, making him sort of easy to see.  It was a good thing his clothes were dark.  His black pants and red shirt blended well with the night sky, but he knew he wouldn't make it.  (A/N you should know who he is.  Come on, I couldn't leave him out forever^.^)  His ankle was killing him.  It had been sprained and whoever had wrapped it up hadn't done a good job.  Same would have to go for his arm.  It was obvious he had injured it, but it wasn't wrapped well.  He had various scratches on his face and his arms, but they had been left unattended.  The people at the base hadn't done a good job.  Just then, his ankle gave out on him and he fell to the ground in pain.  He could hear footsteps behind him now.  "Great Taban, just great," he said to himself.  "Smart one."  He heard the sound of a gun locking as he turned around and gave a guilty smile.  None of the men around him looked friendly.  "Um…hi?" he said.  They stood him up and dragged him back to the base.  None of them found his humor amusing.  In the base, on the top floor, someone was looking out the window down at the men as they dragged Taban back towards the base.

"Nice try," the person said.  The voice was definitely female.  "But you won't get away that easy."  She smirked to herself as she walked out of the room.

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Oh, I am sooo evil^.^  That was fun!  I hope you like this chapter, and I promise that some action will happen soon.  They'll actually get there in the next chapter.  And sorry for all the A/Ns.  I just don't like confusing people, okay?  Now I should get to bed.  Remember: Review!  Or I'll stop writing.  J/K

Audi^.^


	5. The Arrival and Reunion

Hello once again everybody.  I was gonna ask last chapter for people to try and guess who the scary girl was, but never got around to it.  In other words, I completely forgot.  I thought I made it pretty obvious, and decided that most of you knew.  Like Sakura Scout.  You got it right^.^  Congratulations^.^   And thanks for reviewing! Unfortunately, for those of you who get it right, I can't give you anything, since…well…I don't have anything^.^

Well, onward and thanks to everyone who reviewed or read this story and didn't review.  You guys are cool too.

Disclaimer:  I don't own Zoids, just the characters I make.

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"Is that it?" asked Doc.  They were all in the controls room of the Hover Cargo.

"Yep, that's it," said Risai.  Coming up in front of them was the base of the ZBC's forces.  It looked like a small village.  There were house like tents all over the campus and many people were walking around.  In the middle of it all, there was a huge base.  There was also a garage like thing next to it.  They guessed that that's where the zoids were stored.  The base was even bigger than the Blitz team's base.

"Whoa," said Bit.  "So where will we be staying?  Which house tent thing is ours?"

"You guys won't be living in a tent," said Miharu.

"We won't?" asked Jamie.

"Nope," answered Risai.  She pointed to the base.  "You guys will all be staying in there," she said.  They all gasped.

"What?" they all said in shock.

"You heard me," said Risai.  "You'll all be staying in there."

"How many other teams are there, including us?" asked Brad.

"Including all of you?" asked Risai.  She seemed to be thinking.  "4 or maybe it was 5."

"That's all?" asked Bit in astonishment.  Risai nodded.  

"Who else lives there?" asked Naomi over the com-link.  Her and Leon were back in the Gustav again.

"Lieutenants and all the classes above.  Not many soldiers get to live in there," answered Miharu.

"Wow," they all said.

"Where should I go?" asked Doc.

"Just follow this road up to the base.  There should be some officers there who will help."  The Hover Cargo followed the road that led up towards the base.  Once there, they stopped and everyone got out.  Just as Risai had said, there were officers there.  They volunteered to place the Hover Cargo and Naomi's Gustav in the garage and the two teams willingly accepted.  They first went in and grabbed their bags so they could get situated in their rooms.  They watched as the officers maneuvered the Hover Cargo into the garage, which was actually a lot bigger up close.  They had soon finished.  Risai turned away from them.

"Miharu will show you where your rooms are," she said.

"Where are you going?" asked Bit.

"I have a class to teach."  And with that, she walked away and off into the huge area around the base.  Now that they were up close, they realized just how big this area was.  There wasn't just the base and the tents, but there were many other buildings as well, but none were even half as big as that base was.

"She has to teach a class?  I didn't know Risai was a teacher," said Bit.

"It's not what you think.  Come on, let's go," said Miharu.  She began to lead them into the base and down many halls.  There were many different rooms, each with the same kind of door, but a different name on all of them.  The hallway's walls were brown and the ceiling dark red.  The color of the floor was a brown marble like substance.  It was shinny and very smooth.  They kept walking and turned a corner or two.  Miharu finally stopped and pointed down a hallway.

"All of your rooms are down this hallway.  You'll have to look to see what side your room is on," said Miharu as she pointed to the right.  "Your rooms have your names on the gold plates.  You should just put your stuff down for now and I'll show you the rest of the campus."

"Alright," they said.  There was indeed a room for each of them.  They all set their stuff down and then came back out.  They followed Miharu again and she pointed out the different areas of the base.  There was a huge auditorium and a kitchen as well.  Then there was an eating hall that was very fancy and looked like it belonged at some kind of five star restaurant.  There were many other rooms as well.  They then exited the base and began to walk around outside of it.  There were many tents and other buildings and also what looked like training grounds.

"No no no!" shouted a familiar voice.  They stopped and turned to look at who was yelling.  It was at one of the things that looked like a training ground.  There was a tarp high up over the huge area, shading it from the sun.  They saw some of what looked like soldiers.  They were all holding guns and seemed to be having target practice.  Some were doing better than others.  They then saw who had yelled and saw Risai standing behind the men as they shot.  She was a good distance away from them and seemed to be on a higher floor level, like a stage so that she could see them all.  It was only about 4 and a half feet off the ground.

"Come on, that's not the right form!  Remember your training!" she yelled again.  Her face expressed annoyance.

"So that's what she teaches," said Bit.

"Man she's tough on them," said Jamie.

"I sort of feel sorry for those guys," said Leena.

"Don't be.  You'll have to do that too and Risai will be your teacher," explained Miharu.  They all gulped as they saw the look on Risai's face.  Her and Miharu sort of stood out from the other soldiers in the area.  They both wore black pants and a black overcoat.  Miharu had on a white t-shirt and Risai wore a green one.  There was someone else standing near Risai, but he was standing on the ground, leaning against the stage like area of the training grounds.  He wore a normal military uniform, but not the hat that went with it.  His spiked red hair stood out from the very brown area.

"Hey Bit, isn't that…" started Leena.  She pointed towards the guy with red hair.

"Yeah, I think it is," said Bit.  At the training grounds, Risai put her mega phone down and sighed.  The guy with red hair was laughing.

"Man, you sure are hard on them," he said.  He found this funny.  She glared at him.

"What are you doing here anyway Rick?" she asked putting emphasis on the "you".  "You've already gone through this training.  Don't tell me you miss it."

"Don't kid yourself.  What kind of greeting is that anyway?"

"Sorry, but I'm just a little edgy."  She turned her attention back to the men she was training and her expression changed back to annoyance.  "You guys are doing it wrong!  Remember the form I taught you!"

"Yes ma'am!" they shouted back.  Some seemed scared.  Rick Star burst out laughing again.

"You're too much!" he shouted hysterically.  "No matter how hard you try, they're never gonna do this properly."

"Hey, I've trained tons of groups and they all turn out in the end.  I had to train you and…well, that's a bad example," she said mockingly.

"Hey!  I'm good with a gun!" he shouted angrily.

"You were the one who nearly shot a hole through the base because your aim was off."

"Only by a little."

"Yeah right."

"I slipped, okay?"

"Likely excuse."

"Lay off!"  Rick wasn't laughing anymore, in fact, he seemed mad.  Now it was Risai's turn to laugh at him.  "Okay, okay, you've made your point."

"Where's the rest of your team?"

"Back at the base.  They were tired.  It gets so boring around here."

"I get the feeling you wont be bored for long."

"Oh?  And why do you say that?"

"Hi," said a very familiar voice.  Risai smiled and looked towards the group approaching them.  Rick looked as well and his face brightened.

"Cool, hi!" he said as he ran over to them.  He had a huge smile on his face.  "It's been a while."

"I'll say," responded Bit.

"Man, all of us together like this, it'll be just like old times."

"Yeah."

"So you guys haven't seen each other since the incident?" asked Miharu.

"Yep," said Rick.  "But that doesn't matter.  We're all here again.  Oh yeah, hi everybody," he said as he looked to the rest of the team.

"Nice of you to notice us," said Leena with a mocking smirk on her face.  He just laughed, embarrassed.

"So where's the rest of your team?" asked Brad.

"Back at the base," answered Rick.  "It's great to see you guys again.  So Bit, Leena, you guys married yet?"  Both Bit and Leena blushed.

"Why does everyone keep asking that?" asked Leena.

"No, we're not," answered Bit.

"I was just curious," said Rick.

"What about you?" asked Jamie in a mocking tone, which was unlike him, but it was just too tempting.  Now it was Rick's turn to blush.

"W-what do you mean?" he asked as if he didn't know what they were talking about.

"Oh come on, you know," said Naomi.

"I don't know anything," said Rick.

"I'll agree with you there," said Risai.

"Hey!" he yelled back.  They all just laughed.

"You still haven't answered our question," said Leena with a smirk.  Rick was still blushing.

"No, I'm not married!"

"But are you thinking about it?"

"What's with all the questions?!"  He was a bright red now and they all laughed.  He looked mad.

"What's so funny?" asked a voice from behind him.  Rick spun around and came face to face with Meiyuu.  She was also wearing a uniform; her blond hair was back in a ponytail.

"H-hi Meiyuu," he said.  She looked at him and then to the rest of the group and smiled.

"Hi you guys, it's been a while," she said.

"Yep," they all answered.

"So what's so funny, and Rick, why is your face red?" she asked.  They all started laughing, except Rick, who looked to the ground in embarrassment.

"Don't ask," he said.

"Okay.  Well, anyway, how have you guys been?" she asked.

"Just fine," answered Leena.

"That's good.  I can't believe this is happening though."

"Yeah," said Bit.  "I've never experienced a war before."

"Neither have we."

"You'll all do fine," assured Miharu.

"Well, I have to get back now and check on Mattei.  I left him alone.  Bye!" she said as she turned around and began to walk away.  She grabbed Rick by the collar of his shirt and began to pull him along with her.  "Come on Rick.  You're coming with me Mr. 'I have some important business to take care of so I can't help you clean the rooms'."  They were soon out of sight.  Everyone stared as they walked off, still partially laughing.  Even Risai and Miharu were laughing.  Risai wasn't paying attention to her students; otherwise she would have noticed what was happening.  One of the men was backing up a little, since after they hit the target 10 times in one place, they were suppose to back up and try again.  The man stepped on a rock as he was about to fire and it slid out from under him, causing him to fall backwards, but as he did, his gun went off.  It was aiming at an angle.  The sound of it firing was drowned out by the other guns going off, so no one gave it a second thought.  Risai was still holding her mega phone.  The bullet from the gun traveled too fast for anyone to react in time.  The bullet hit the mega phone sending it flying, but the sudden force hurt her hand and pushed her from her position.  She stumbled slightly, holding her wrist.  Everyone's laughter had stopped as their eyes were on Risai.  She went too far and wasn't paying enough attention.  She fell from the stage and landed hard on the ground.

"Risai!" they shouted as they all ran over.  She didn't say anything, since the fall had knocked her out.  The soldiers with their guns ran over as well.

"Commander," they said in worry.

"I'm so sorry," said the one who had shot towards her.  He seemed nervous as if she would spring up and strangle him.  She made a slight movement, and then whispered.

"It's alright," she said in a whisper, since she couldn't speak any higher than that.  She attempted to sit up, but there was an unbearable pain in the back of her head and coursing through her back, so she fell against the ground again.  She was breathing hard now, trying to regain her composure, but to no avail.

"Hey, you two," said Miharu, pointing to two of the soldiers.  "I want you two to take her to her room.  Class will be over for today."

"Alright," they said.  The two soldiers bent down and carefully lifted her up.  Her arms were now around their shoulders as they walked away back towards the base.

"Is she gonna be okay?" asked Bit.

"Yes," responded Miharu.

"You seem confident," said Leon.

"Risai has been shot in both arms, both legs and through her stomach at the same time and lived to tell about it.  I think she'll survive a hit to the head."

"Is she usually this…clumsy?" asked Leena.

"Sad to say, no.  She's usually very careful.  She seems really out of it."

"Why?" asked Jamie.

"I don't know.  Anyway, you guys should probably go and unpack, you know, get settled in."

"Okay," they all answered.  They all walked back to the base and back to their rooms.

******

A few hours later, Risai awoke, only to find herself in her room.  It was dark outside now.  She stared towards the ceiling.

"What's wrong with me?" she asked herself.  She then heard a knock at the door.  "Come in."  She didn't really care who it was.  All she knew was that she didn't want to be alone in her room like this.

"Hi," came Leon's voice as he opened the door.  "They wanted me to check up on you."

"Thanks," she said.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm not sure."  She sat up and seemed to be fine.  "I guess I feel better."  Leon walked into the room and sat down next to her.

"That's good.  I mean, you did fall from nearly 5 feet from the ground.  Not to mention you hit your head."

"I know.  These things happen."

"Well, I'm glad you're okay."

"Leon, you're always so…so nice."

"Nice?"

"Yeah, all of you are.  You're always risking everything to save the people you guys care about."  She hung her head.  "I feel bad that you guys have to be involved in this.  It'll be hard on all of you.  I also feel pity for those soldiers, the ones I was teaching."

"Why?"

"Because it's easy to shoot at a wooden target, but it's different when you try to shoot a living person, knowing you're most likely ending their life.  But when it comes down to it, it's either you or them.  You see, in war there's no room for being nice…no room for emotions."

"Do you really believe that?"

"Yes.  Emotions can get you and others killed."

"Come on, are you serious?"  She looked to him.  She was sure he found something amusing about this.  "I mean, when people act on emotions, they often save other people's lives along with their own."

"That's not true.  If you don't follow regulations, then you slip up and people die."  Risai was getting a little angry.

"I still don't think you believe that, I mean, how could you?  You're always worrying about your brother and all.  How can you say one thing and mean the other?"  Risai stood up quickly and looked to Leon.

"Shut up!  You don't know me!  You don't know anything!" she yelled angrily.  Leon seemed a little nervous now and confused.  Risai quickly put a hand to her head, as she felt a little dizzy.  She sat down on the bed again and closed her eyes, still holding her head.  "I'm sorry," she said in a calmer voice.

"It's fine.  I think I should leave now.  I still have some unpacking to do."  He got up and walked to the door.

"Hey, Leon?"  He stopped and looked back at her as he opened the door.

"Thanks."  She smiled to him slightly and he did the same.

"You're welcome."  He left the room and closed the door behind him.  Risai lied back down on her bed and closed her eyes.  She sighed.

"Great.  Another day of classes tomorrow," she said to herself.  She soon fell asleep.

******

In the middle of the desert in an empty area stood the Backdraft's main base.  Its cold exterior was nothing like the horrors on the inside.  Many cells were in the base, but there weren't many captives.  In fact, there was only one.  Taban sat in his cell, staring out the small, barred window.  His plans had all failed so far, so he decided to find a different way to escape, but he was coming up with nothing.  As long as he was still injured, he couldn't get very far on foot.

"There has to be someway out of here," he said to himself.

"I'm afraid you're mistaken," said a female voice from the shadows.  Taban turned his head, but couldn't see who it was.  He walked up to the bars.

"What do you want?" he asked.  "Who are you?"

"That's none of your concern."

"What are you going to do with me?"  It was a question that had been bugging him for sometime now.

"You'll find out soon enough," she answered.  She walked off and away from the cell.  Taban walked back to the bed and lied down.  He soon fell asleep.

******

Risai stood in the middle of nowhere, the wind tossing her hair.  She seemed to be in the desert.  The sky was red and there was no sun, no stars, not even a moon.  She looked around and saw sand in every direction.  The wind kicked up the sand from the ground as it swirled and spiraled through the air around her.

"Hey Risai," said a familiar voice, one she could never forget.  She spun around and saw a boy who didn't look much older than her.  He had messy, cerulean blue hair.  Some was spiked and some hung down to just past his ears.  It hung mostly in the back and was spiked more towards the front.  His eyes were deep blue and seemed friendly.  He wore black pants, a blue shirt, and a black over shirt, a lot like the outfit she wore.  Risai's eyes went wide as she looked at him.  He had a huge smile on his face.

"R-rainer?  Is…is that you?"

"Of course it is," he said as his smile deepened.

"I…I thought you were…"  She stuttered as tears of joy streamed down her face.  "I'm so happy to see you again."  He didn't say anything; he just smiled.  Risai was smiling as well.  Just then, he faded from the picture, along with the desert.  It was dark now and cold.  "Rainer!" shouted Risai.  She was alone again, not sure what she should do.  "H-hello?" she asked quietly.  "Taban?  Miharu?"  She looked around the dark area.  "Anybody?"  Her voice was quiet and nervous, mixed with fear as well.  The only answer she received was the sound of a gunshot.  She turned around quickly and saw Rainer again, standing with his back to Risai, his arms outstretched.  A few feet in front of him stood someone with a gun.

"Rainer?" she asked with nervousness in her voice.  His form then seemed to fade and was replaced with someone else.  Risai recognized this other person too.

"Leon?" she asked.  He turned his head to look at her and smiled.  He closed his eyes and fell back to the ground and then faded as well.  Now Risai was completely alone again.  The person with the gun was gone and the darkness now seemed colder and more painful than before.  Risai wasn't sure if she was standing on solid ground or floating, but either way, it ended as she felt herself begin to fall.  She plummeted downward, towards what, she didn't know, but right now, she didn't really care either, as she let the darkness absorb her and let her mind sink in with the pain that this place brought.

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Man, I wrote a lot.  This is scary.  I made this chapter kinda angsty.  How weird.  Gee, I'm starting to talk in 2 word sentences again.  Well, I know the dream thing was confusing, but I had fun writing it.  Angsty…okay, I'll stop doing that now.  I'm just hyper and need to go do something.  Sorry this took so long and to those of you reading this, review pleaz!!!

Audi^.^


	6. Teaching a Class

I actually had an idea for this chapter!  I've been thinking about it all day at school and decided to write it out before I forgot or something.  I have a tendency to come up with something and then take a long time to write it.  It happens.  Oh well.  I don't really have much more to say except…enjoy^.^

Oh, and I don't think I've said this in this fic yet, but I can't do anything about the way this appears on fanfiction cause it's either this way or one huge paragraph, and I know you guys don't like that.  Sorry, but this is the best I can do.

Disclaimer:  I don't own Zoids, only the characters I make.

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"Alright you guys, let's get this strait," said Risai.  She stood on the stage like thing in the training area and looked out at the group she'd be teaching.  "This is a special session only for you guys since you're going to be our elite.  I'll do the best I can as a teacher, but you guys have to try as well."  The group consisted of Bit, Leena, Brad, Jamie, Naomi, and Leon.  They all stood, holding their weapons, which were normal hand pistols in one hand and a shotgun like thing in the other that was balanced on the palm and leant against the shoulder.  They weren't wearing anything really special, just normal training clothing.  They all wore white t-shirts, black boots, and dark green pants.  The girls' pants were tighter than the guys' pants.  They all stood strait and stared at Risai as she barked orders.

"I'm sure all of you have held a gun before, right?"

"Um…" they all started saying, along with other unsure phrases.

"I have…once," said Bit.  "It wasn't that hard…but, well…"

"Well what?" asked Risai.

"I was shooting at a lock on a cell door…and it was only a few inches away from me," said Bit sheepishly.

"That doesn't count," said Risai as she hit her head with her hand.  She then looked to them.  "Any more questions?"

"Yeah," said Bit.  "Why are they here?"  He motioned towards Rick, Meiyuu, and Mattei.  They were all leaning against the stage thing like Rick had done earlier.

"We have nothing better to do, so we thought we should come and watch you guys," said Mattei.

"Yeah, and besides, I wanna see how bad you are at this," added Rick.

"Who says we're gonna be bad at this?" asked Leena angrily.

"You guys got to laugh at me yesterday, so now it's my turn."

"We're actually here to help out," said Meiyuu.

"Sounds good," said Miharu.  "We can always use some extra help around here, even though this class is small."

"Hey, I have an idea," said Risai.

"What?" asked Rick in a sort of nervous tone.  The last time she had had an idea that involved him, she was going to use him as target practice.  Of course, he had insulted her, so it was only fair.

"Why don't you guys just take this class over?  You said it yourself, you have nothing better to do."

"Yeah, but…" started Rick.

"Move it!"

"Yes ma'am."  He ran over and picked up a gun and moved to the end of the line.  They were all lined up horizontally, facing Risai.  Meiyuu and Mattei walked over and picked up a gun as well, then joined Rick in the line.

"Good, now I want you guys to shoot at the targets behind you.  Miharu will help you if you're having difficulties, and please don't shoot at other people.  These guns are loaded with real bullets."

"Okay," said Bit.

"That's 'Yes ma'am'," corrected Risai.

"Yes ma'am!" they all repeated.  Risai just smiled to herself.  It was fun to be a teacher sometimes.  They all turned around to face the wooden targets.  There was one for each of them to aim at.  The sound of gunfire was now heard.  Risai jumped down from the stage thing.  Miharu was standing near the targeting area.  She was watching them as they shot at the targets.  The targets were the normal red and white ringed targets and they were supposed to shoot the center.  So far, none of them had succeeded, except for the Fire Star team.

"I don't see why we have to do this," said Rick.

"Don't complain," said Meiyuu.

"Yeah bro, wasn't it you who was complaining about how boring everything was?  At least this way you have something to do," said Mattei.  They all just shot at the targets for a while.

"Okay, you guys can take a break," said Risai.  They all sighed and put down their weapons.  They then began to talk and make fun of each other for not hitting the target in the right spot.  Risai smiled to herself, but if quickly faded as a familiar voice broke her happiness.

"Well hello Risai," came a sleazy kind of voice.  Risai cringed as she looked to the side, only to see a man wearing a uniform that was gray, yellow, and blue.  (A/N Okay, so I can't describe military uniforms well, but you should know what they look like…maybe…sorry for the inconvenience.)  He was taller than she was by a good 5 or more inches and had dark eyes and dark red hair.  Behind his smile, he was hiding his true nature.  He was pretty bulk as well, making him look even taller than he was.

"Colonel Garner, to what do I owe this pleasure?" said Risai with sarcasm in her voice.

"I just stopped by to see how you're doing," he said, his voice full of false sincerity.

"I'm fine, but I'm busy right now."  She turned away from him and began to walk, but he grabbed her arm, which scared her.

"Come on, I just want to talk.  We're friends, aren't we?" he said in a kind voice, but it was clear as day that he was faking it.

"Please, I'm busy."  She tried to pull away from him, but his grip was too strong.

"Too busy for me?"

"Please let go," she pleaded, but he didn't, so she kept struggling.  Meanwhile, the teams were all talking.  Bit turned to look at Risai and then saw the colonel holding onto her arm as she struggled.

"Who's that?" asked Bit.  Miharu looked over as well and her smile fell.

"What do you mean?" asked Leena.  She turned as well.  "That guy?"

"What's he doing?" asked Leon.  Miharu didn't say anything; she just walked off towards the two of them.

"Exactly what's going on?" asked Naomi.  Now they were all curious.  They watched as Miharu walked over.  She arrived there and the colonel looked to her and let go of Risai.

"Why good morning colonel," said Miharu with a smile on her face, which was actually in between a smile and a smirk.

"Good morning Miharu," he answered with his false kindness.

"What brings you out here?"

"I decided to come and visit my old friends.  It's too bad about Taban.  How are you holding out?"  His voice was full of false concern and they both new it.

"I'm fine," said Miharu.  "But Colonel Garner, we're in the middle of a class here and if your superiors find out that you are interrupting it, you could get in trouble.  This is a special course for our elite, so I suggest you leave before they find out."

"Thanks for the concern.  I will leave."  He turned and began to walk away, but looked to Risai once more.  "See ya around Risai."  He then walked off back into the crowd.

"I can't stand that guy," said Risai.

"I know what you mean," agreed Miharu.  "Without Taban around, he's gonna be like this a lot.  We'll have to watch our backs."

"Yeah."

"Well, we should probably start up the class soon."

"Just a few more minutes."

"Okay."  Miharu walked back to the others and they eagerly awaited her.  She made sure that Risai wouldn't be able to hear her.

"So what happened?  Who was that?" asked Bit.

"His name is Colonel Garner.  I'd stay away from him, if you know what's good for you," said Miharu.  And with that, she walked past them and went over to one of the wooden posts to lean against it.  Naomi and Leena followed her.

"Hey, what did you say to that guy to make him leave?" asked Leena.

"I told him he'd get in trouble for disrupting out class.  It really wouldn't have mattered what I had said; he would have left anyways."

"Why?" asked Naomi.

"Because he knows what will happen to him if Taban finds out what he's been doing."

"What has he been doing?" asked Leena.

"Let's just say that you two sure are lucky to have Bit and Brad.  He'll leave you two alone.  The same goes for Meiyuu."

"He'll leave us alone?" asked Naomi.

"Yes, but as long as Taban is gone, well…"

"Was he hitting on Risai?" asked Leena.

"I'm afraid so."

"What a jerk," said Naomi.  "But Risai could easily take him down."

"Yes, but he's a Colonel, one of our superiors, so we can't do anything to him.  I'd punch him myself if I could."

"How sad," said Leena.

"Okay everyone, breaks over!" shouted Risai.

"Well, back to work you guys, and please just forget about this, and don't mention anything to Risai," said Miharu.

"Don't worry, we won't," assured Naomi.  They got back to shooting at the targets.  Risai lifted herself up onto the stage again and sat there, staring at her students, but her mind was somewhere else.  'Taban, where are you?  Miharu and I need you to come back.  Who's going to protect us?' she thought to herself.  She then laughed a little.  'Gee, when I was 15, I never thought like this.  I don't think anything could get me down, but that's changed.  I feel so…alone.'  She then thought about her dream.  'Rainer…I miss you, and I'm so sorry.  I hope you can forgive me.  I won't make the same mistake twice.'  She then remembered something else.  'Why was Leon there?'  This confused her.  She then remembered last night and felt kind of bad for yelling at him.  'He was just checking up on me and I had to yell at him like that.  He's always so nice, but he thinks he knows me.  Nobody knows me.'  She jumped down again.

"Okay you guys, this session is done now.  I'll see you guys back here tomorrow, same time, alright?"

"Alright," they all answered.  She just stared at them.  "I mean yes ma'am."  She smiled and they all left the vicinity.

"What now?" asked Bit.  "I mean, what do you guys do around here for fun?"

"This isn't about fun, this is a war," said Miharu.

"You know, for this being a war, there hasn't been any action."

"I know.  That's a good thing."

"But don't you guys get bored without having anything to do?"

"Not really."  They all walked in a group.  Leena looked around a little and then turned to Miharu.

"Where'd Risai go?" she asked.  Miharu looked around too, but didn't see her anywhere.

"I'm not quite sure.  She disappears a lot, so get used to it."  They all walked off to go find something to keep them busy.

******

It was the same cold building and it made everything seem dark, even though it was bright outside.  The guards were standing around the cells talking.

"What did she say to do again?" asked one of the soldiers.

"To stay here and watch him," answered the other one.  Taban was pretending to sleep while they talked.

"What is this all about anyway?  Why did we get involved with this war?"

"To finish off the ZBC.  The Backdraft was meant to rule over zoid battles."

"What about him?"

"The prisoner?  I'm not sure.  She wouldn't say anything when I asked her, but I get the feeling it's something big."

"Like what?"

"I don't know.  Revenge maybe?"

"That'd make sense, I guess."

"How long until our next attack on their main forces?"

"About a day or so.  She'll tell us when."

"I know, but I'd rather know in advance."

"Same here.  The suspense is killing me."

"We'll definitely win this war.  We completely out number them."

"But they're starting to recruit zoid warriors.  They'll probably get the Blitz team if they don't already have them."

"Yeah, and they have those agents on their team too.  They're practically indestructible."

"Wasn't Toran an agent?"

"Yeah."

"Well, they got him, didn't they?"

"Yeah."

"So then they can be beaten.  We have nothing to worry about.  According to her, that guy is an agent too."

"Him?"

"Yeah.  See, they're not indestructible.  They can be taken down easily when they let their guard down."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right."  They continued to talk, but it wasn't that important.  Taban was laughing to himself quietly.

"Yeah right, you wish," he said quietly to himself.  "There's no way you guys will win this war."  He then turned his attention to the ceiling.  "This is so boring.  I wonder what Risai and Miharu are doing?  Hope they're having more fun than I am."  He then remembered something else.  He seemed worried.

"Colonel Garner is still there.  Darn it.  I hope they'll be all right.  He'll probably leave Miharu alone, but I don't know about Risai.  I hope they can keep her safe until I get back."  He then closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep.  He didn't have anything else to do.

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Well, I think I'll end it here.  I wanted to write this chapter before I forgot something.  I had fun!  I hope you like it, cause I'm actually updating more frequently.  School is sooo easy, in fact, because of Flex, I have a lot of free time at home to write and read stuff.  I'm happy!  I love Flex!  Sorry, I don't mean to brag about having it easy.  Anyway, this won't be the last you'll see of the evil Colonel Garner.  I hate him, but he has to be in this and I'm sorry about my lacking of military knowledge.  I'm trying.

Well, gotta go!

Audi^.^


	7. First Battle

I just love writing soooo much!  And this is soooo fun!  Oh great, I'm starting to show that I have no life.  Great.  Why me?  Anyway, yes, I don't really have anything else to do right now except to write this story, so I think I will.  I have a pretty good idea for this chapter.

Disclaimer:  I have no ownership to Zoids.  I only own the characters I create.

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Risai sat on the ground, cross-legged.  She seemed to be thinking about something as she stared out in front of her at the huge pool.  The water seemed so clear and inviting, not to mention that this room was one of the biggest in the base.  It stretched out far.  The pool was set up like the kind you would use in a competition.  The blue lines on the pool floor separated the lanes, but no one ever used it for that.  The water swayed gently in the pool.  Risai thought about it for a while and stood up.

"Should I?" she asked herself.  She then shrugged.  "Why not?"  She quickly removed her shoes and her overcoat.  She smiled and backed up a little.  With a running start, she dove into the pool.  The cool water felt refreshing on the hot day and the shade of the room made it all the more comforting.  She began to swim laps, doing the front stroke and then flipping at the end onto her back.  She began to pirouette through the water and then disappeared underwater, still spinning.  She came back up for air and then just floated on her back.

"This feels great," she said happily.

"I'm sure it does."  Risai quickly stood up and looked towards the entrance.  She found all of them standing there.  "So this is where you went," said Miharu.

"Yeah, so?"  Risai swam over to the edge closest to the entrance and pulled herself up and out of the pool.  She was soaking wet.

"How's the water?"

"Cool and refreshing, but now I'm all wet."

"Well duh."  Miharu had an amused smirk on her face.  Risai looked herself over and then smiled.

"I think I'll go take a shower now."  She walked over and picked up the rest of her stuff off the ground.  She just walked past them and began to head down the hall towards her room.

"What do we do now?" asked Leena.

"How about we all go back to my room," suggested Bit.

"And do what?" asked Naomi.

"I don't know…talk?  Play games?"

"I guess that sounds good," said Jamie.  They all walked down the hall and off to Bit's room.

******

Risia walked out of the steaming shower and into her room.  Each room had it's own shower to eliminate what always happened with Bit and Leena.  She was wearing a white robe, sort of like the one Leena wore.

"That feels better," she said to herself.  She stood in front of the mirror and combed through her partially wet hair.  She quickly blow-dried it and then put on a pair of black pants, a green shirt and her black over shirt.  "I wish my clothes had more variety, but agents are suppose to dress like this," she said as she looked at the image in her mirror.  She pulled on her black boots and began to head for the door, but stopped upon hearing an explosion that shook the building slightly.  She ran to her window and saw some zoids approaching their camp.  "Darn it."  She quickly ran out of the room and down the halls.  She stopped in the doorway of Bit's room, where everyone was sitting around, talking.  They looked to her as she stood in the doorway.

"Get to your zoids now!" she yelled, half in a command, and half in panic.

"What?" asked Bit.

"We're under attack!"  Just then, another explosion rang out, this time shaking the building harder.  It felt like an earthquake.  It was followed by a few more as everyone tried to keep their balance.  Pieces from the ceiling began to break off and a huge chunk was just about loose and it was placed over Mattei.  Risai looked up and then ran into the room.

"Look out!" she warned.  She grabbed him and pulled him out of the way just as it hit.  Everyone stared on in shock.

"Thanks Risai," said Mattei.

"Don't mention it."  She stood back up.  "Now come on.  We have to defend this base."  They all began to run down the hallway, following Risai to the garage.  They finally made it and saw that others were also getting their zoids out.

"Rick, you guys know where your zoids are, so hurry up and join the soldiers that just left."

"Okay."

"Where are our zoids?" asked Brad.

"We had them placed over there."  She pointed to where they were stationed, which was against the right wall.  "Now hurry up and join the others."

"Yes ma'am."

"Um…we're not in class anymore.  You can just say okay.  Thanks for thinking ahead though."  They all just sighed and then ran off to get in their zoids.  Miharu and Risai quickly got into theirs and joined the troops.  A battle waged outside.  Zoids were being destroyed left and right.  Some were from the Backdraft and some were from the ZBC.

"Well Bit, you wanted action and now you have it," said Leena.

"Yeah, but I was expecting something along the lines of a zoid battle.  This is like a zoid massacre," responded Bit.

"I agree.  At least in zoid battles the pilots don't die.  Here, you never know what's gonna happen," added Rick.

"That's right," said Risai.  "This is a war, so get used to seeing this.  I told you it would be hard to fight.  You have to understand just one thing out here on the battlefield.  It's either them or you.  Never go easy on the enemy."

"Got it," said Bit.  "This is gonna be harder than I thought."

"I'm moving up to the front line.  I'll see you guys later."  Risai turned her com-link off just as Miharu was about to say something.  She then blocked her COM system.

"Risai, wait," started Miharu, but she had been cut off.  "Darn it.  What's she thinking?"

"What's wrong?" asked Meiyuu.

"She's not supposed to be up there."

"Why?" asked Jamie.

"Because the front line is dangerous, but…she is a commander, so I guess she has the right to do what she wants.  She's only following her orders, I guess…but still…"

"You worried?" asked Bit.

"Yeah.  She's been different for the past few weeks.  I'm starting to worry."

"Maybe she's just trying to win this war," suggested Naomi.

"I guess…well, we need to pay attention now."  They charged further into battle and began to fight off the enemy forces.  They were mostly Zabats, Rev Raptors, and Hellcats; all of them were painted the color black.  There were many of them and they seemed to just keep coming.  The front line was doing the best they could to keep the enemy away from the newer, less experienced fighters.  Risai quickly arrived at the front of the battle.

"Commander," said one of the soldiers.  "What are you doing up here?"

"I came to help out."

"Tell us, what should we do?"

"Leave this to me."

"But-"  He didn't have enough time to finish his sentence, because Risai had already went ahead into the midst of the battle.  This did not go unnoticed.

"What is she doing?" asked Leon.  All of them were wondering the same thing.

"She's going to get herself killed," said Miharu.  She tried to open a com-link with Risai, but it didn't work.  She slammed her hand down on the console.  "Darn it, her com system's jammed."

"But it hasn't been damaged," pointed out Bit.

"I know that.  She purposely blocked it.  What is she thinking?" yelled Miharu angrily.

"What should we do?" asked Leena.

"I'm going up there.  You can come if you want."  And with that, Miharu turned her Phoenix hard to the right and started heading towards Risai, who was taking on a ton of zoids on her own.

"This is harder than I thought," she said to herself.  She took a hit or two, but came back with an attack of her own.  She quickly maneuvered out of the way of another attack from a Rev Raptor, and followed up with her own attack.  She was then hit from behind by a few gunshots, causing her Genosaurer to stumble.  "Darn it…what was I thinking when I came up here?" she asked herself.  She got back up and stood deathly still in fear as she saw a plasma particle beam coming towards her.  Her mind was racing.  'This is it.  I'm gonna die here on the battlefield, in a stupid battle…but…do I really care?  Do I really care if I…'  Her thoughts were interrupted by something hitting her from the side, knocking her out of the way just before the beam would have hit.  She looked to the side and found the Liger Zero and Lighting Saix, belonging to Bit and Rick.

"Thanks you guys," she said.

"You're welcome.  Now let's finish this," said Bit.

"Yeah," agreed Rick.

"Okay."  They all regained their composure and rushed off to go and take out some enemy troops.  The clamps on the Genosaurer went down and the cannon extended.  "Hey Bit, Rick.  You guys think you can cover me?"

"Sure," they both answered.  The cannon began to charge as she lined it up with some enemy zoids.  Bit and Rick kept the other zoids away from her so the cannon could finish charging.  Once it was done, she fired it.  The beam took out at least 20 zoids.  She just smiled to herself.  The other fighters were taking out their own share of enemy zoids and soon enough, the rest of them retreated back to their base.  All the soldiers cheered at their latest victory.  They went back to the base and stationed their zoids back in the garage.  Miharu jumped out of her zoid and began to walk over to Risai as she stationed her Genosaurer.  The others followed, curious as to what she was going to do.  Risai jumped out, an emotionless expression on her face.  She looked up to the approaching Miharu and seemed confused.  Miharu seemed really mad.  She went up to Risai and the first thing she did was aim a punch right at her face.  Risai didn't stumble when she was hit.  Instead she just looked downward, since her head was moved in that direction from the hit.  The others all cringed, thinking to themselves about how much that must have hurt.

"You idiot!  Do you have a death wish or something?!  You could have gotten killed!" yelled Miharu.  She was definitely angry.  Risai didn't say anything.  She just looked to the ground, her head turned to the side.  She seemed mad and yet sad at the same time.  She was gritting her teeth partially and her eyes seemed to have tears in them.  "I know you're a commander, but that gives you no right to charge in there like that."

"I was only following orders.  Our duty is to defend the base in any way possible," responded Risai.  She sounded angry.

"But you're not suppose to risk your own life to do so.  What would Taban say if he knew?  And if Rainer were here, he would…"  She wasn't able to finish her sentence before a fist connected with her face, knocking her to the ground.  Everyone else stood in shock as they saw an angry Risai standing with her fist still in the punch.  She seemed really angry this time.

"Shut up!  What do you know?!" she yelled.  Miharu pushed herself up on her elbow and looked at Risai.

"Risai…"

"No!  Just shut up!"  And with that, she ran off, out of the garage and disappearing down the hallway.  The others all ran over to Miharu.

"What was that all about?" asked Jamie.  He seemed to speak for everyone with that question.

"Are you alright?" asked Meiyuu.  Miharu got up, a little shaky at first, but she soon regained her composure.

"I'm fine."

"So exactly what happened?" asked Bit, curious as to why Miharu had gotten punched.

"I'm worried about her," said Miharu.  "She hasn't been the same lately.  She keeps taking these unnecessary risks."

"Why?" asked Naomi.  Miharu just shook her head sadly.

"I'm not sure."

"She punched you when you mentioned Rainer," said Bit.  "Isn't he one of you guys?"

"Rainer is the one that died."

"Why'd she get so upset when you mentioned his name?" asked Leon.

"I'm not quite sure.  It's not my story to tell.  You'd have to ask Risai, but I doubt she'll tell you."

"Where did she go anyway?" asked Leena.

"Probably back to the pool.  She spends most of her time there.  Usually when she needs to cool down or when she has something on her mind.  I'd leave her alone for a while.  Just give her some time."  They all began to head down the hall and to their rooms.  It was starting to get late and the sun was beginning to set, painting the sky.  Risai had indeed gone to the pool.  She was swimming laps, trying to clear her mind.  'Why…why can't I get him out of my head?  That was years ago…but still…'  She stopped swimming and just floated there for a while.  She kept coming back to the dream she had had.  'That stupid dream.  Why is it bothering me?  What did it mean…'

"Mind if I join you?"

Risai spun around quickly to face the newcomer and ended up facing Leon.  He was standing at the edge of the pool.  Risai sighed.

"It's only you," she said in relief.

"Yeah.  Who'd you think it was?  You seemed panicked."  She thought back to earlier that day and Colonel Garner.

"I just thought…no…never mind…it's nothing, really."

"You sure?"

"Y-yeah."

"Okay…so…can I come in?"

"I don't see why not.  It's not like this is my pool or anything."  Leon smiled and dove in.  Risai watched him as he began to swim laps like she had done.  He stopped next to her.

"You sure you're okay?"

"You're starting to sound like Miharu.  I'm fine.  You don't have to treat me like a child."  There was an annoyed tone to her voice.

"Sorry."

"And don't apologize."

"Okay.  I was just concerned, that's all."

"Don't be.  I can take care of myself."

"You know, you don't always have to act so tough."

"Who's acting?"  She was starting to get edgy.  'What's with this guy?  Why can't he just leave me alone!' she thought to herself.

"You don't have to pretend you're not hurting by being reckless.  You really could have gotten killed out there."

"I don't care."

"What?" he asked in shock.

"You heard me.  I don't care.  Why should I?  No one would miss me."

"You can't believe that."

"Wanna bet?"

"What about Taban and Miharu?  They'd miss you."

"Yeah, but they're the only ones and both of them treat me like a child.  I don't care if I die out there.  At least I'll go down with honor."

"Throwing your life away isn't honorable at all; it's stupid."

"What do you care anyway?  You don't know me."  Risai guessed that she must have hurt him with that, since he didn't say anything and also began to swim back to the side.  As she watched him go, she started to feel bad about it.  'Why do I always have to yell at him?  He's just being nice.'  Leon climbed out and turned back to face her.

"Just don't die, okay?" he said.  This confused her.

"Why?"

"Just don't."

"Okay, I won't."

"You promise?"  This brought out a small smile from Risai.

"Yeah, I promise.  And I'm sorry about yelling at you."

"Don't apologize either."  He smiled when he heard a small laugh come from Risai.

"Okay," said Risai.

"Good.  It's getting late.  You should probably get some sleep."

"Yeah, okay."  Risai swam over and pulled herself out of the pool.  Leon and Risai walked back to their rooms, but not before saying goodnight.  Risai closed the door behind her, a smile on her face.  She wasn't sure just why she was smiling, but she felt good for some reason.  She fell back on her bed and closed her eyes, falling into a deep, but peaceful, sleep.

******

Back out in the desert, at the base in the middle of nowhere, Taban still sat in his cell, not knowing what to do.  He had seen the soldiers come back from a battle.  They had decreased in amount and he just smiled upon recalling the moment.  'This must mean we're winning,' he thought to himself.  "We'll definitely win this war," he said to himself.

"I wouldn't be so sure," came the same cruel voice from before.  Taban sat up on his bed and looked around, but it was too dark to see anything.

"What do you mean?  Your troops just lost a battle."

"Your side may have won this battle, but we will win this war.  We have everything all planned out."

"Nothing is certain in a war."

"How so?"

"We've recruited the help of some of the most powerful teams.  There's no telling who will win, but we have just as much of a chance as you do."

"I'm sure you do, but I have a sure fire idea that can't fail."

"And what would that be?" asked Taban angrily.

"We'll get rid of the two remaining agents back at that base.  I believe you know who I'm talking about.  You're an agent as well."

"How…do you know that?"

"I know all about agents.  You're human beings with increased senses and never-ending youth.  Your aging stops at the age of 21.  Agents have the ability to summon their zoids by using high sonar pulses, emitted from the bracelets around their wrists.  Agents have a sixth sense in order to detect unnatural occurrences, such as, what I believe you call, 'doomed to die'."

"How did you know all of that?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"You may know about us, but you couldn't possibly know about the other agents, so there."  This had now become a battle of wits and Taban was about to loose.

"I know that during the war that started nearly 200 years ago, there were six agents.  You, your sister, Miharu, Toran, Rainer, and Rose.  Rainer died during battle, Toran joined the other side, and Rose disappeared during a battle, assumed to be dead.  Toran is now spending his days in jail."  Taban was speechless.  "I see you have nothing left to say.  Very well.  I'll be leaving now, but know this.  There's no way that you or your pathetic ZBC can stand up to us.  Remember that."  And with that, she walked off.

"How…how could she know that?  It's not possible…"  He lied back down on his bed and fell asleep, his questions still occupying his mind.

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Gee, that was a long chapter.  I can't believe I wrote that much.  I hope you guys like it.  I'm looking to get at least 28 reviews.  That's my favorite number^.^  I hope you can do it, cause I don't plan on writing the next chapter until I have that many…but if I get bored, I might write it anyway^.^  It happens.

Remember…review!  But no flames!

Audi^.^


	8. Beautifully Hard Night

Hi again!  Some happy moments are in this between couples and some scary ones too.  I had fun with this chapter, so I hope you like it.  I know I said that I wouldn't put up another until I got 28 reviews, but I wanted to put his up now.  I'm on a writing streak.  Well, enjoy!

Disclaimer:  See first chapter.

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The sky was covered in a blanket of stars.  It was a beautiful night, one that wasn't too cold or too warm.  On the roof of the base, Bit and Leena sat, staring at the stars.

"It's beautiful, isn't it," said Leena in more of a statement than a question.

"Yeah," said Bit.  "And it's even better since I'm here with you."  Leena looked to Bit and smiled.  He could really be romantic at times.  Bit smiled to her and then kissed her.  They broke their kiss and continued to stare at the stars.  Leena shivered slightly as the wind blew.  Bit smiled and brought her closer to him.  She leaned into his chest and they just stayed there for a while, staring at the stars.  'Miharu was right.  I am lucky to have Bit.  He'll always be there when I need him,' thought Leena to herself.  Leena closed her eyes and eventually fell asleep in Bit's arms.  He smiled at this and carefully picked her up, making sure not to awaken her.  He opened the door that led to the stairway and carefully carried her down it, then down the hall and to her room.  He set her on her bed and pulled the covers over her.

"Goodnight Leena," he whispered.  "I love you."  And with that, he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.  He then went to his own room and went to sleep.

******

Naomi was in the garage area of the base, working on her zoid.

"What are you doing?" asked Brad.  He walked in and over to where Naomi was.  She was standing on a platform up near the head of her Gunsniper.  He looked up at her.  She stopped what she was doing and walked over to the edge of it and looked down.

"Working on my zoid," she answered.

"I know that, but why?  It's not like it sustained any damage."

"I know, but it doesn't hurt to do a checkup every once in a while."

"I guess not."

"Hey Brad?  Why did you want to participate in this war?  I was sure you'd mention something about getting paid, but you didn't.  I'd like to know why?"

"I'm not sure exactly."

"Could it be that you actually care about us?"

"I guess.  Maybe."

"Amazing.  You do have a heart."

"Ha, ha, very funny," he said sarcastically.  Naomi smiled and was about to go back to work, but lost her footing.  She stumbled, and since the platform had no railing, she fell off of it.  Brad ran under her and caught her.  "You should be more careful."

"Thanks."

"No problem."  He set her down and Naomi just smiled.

"Maybe Miharu was right.  Maybe I am lucky to have you around."

"What?"

"Nothing.  It's just something that Miharu told me the other day."

"Speaking of the other day, who was that guy?"

"What guy?"

"The one who came during our class and was talking to Risai."

"Oh, him.  His name is Colonel Garner.  Miharu said to stay away from him.  He wasn't actually talking to Risai."

"What was he doing?"

"That's not for me to say.  I'm going to sleep now."  And with that, she walked past him and out of the garage.  Brad followed a while after.  They reached their rooms and opened the doors, but not before saying goodnight.  They closed the doors and went to sleep.

******

That same cold and eerie darkness was all around her as she continued to fall, letting it absorb her mind.  She found a certain comfort in this.  'What a strange feeling,' she thought to herself.  'It feels like I'm fading away…like I'm…dying.'  That had to be it.  "I'm dying," she said aloud.

"But you promised," said another voice.  Risai opened her eyes and glanced around.

"Leon?" she asked.

"Of course.  Don't you remember?  You promised me that you wouldn't die."

"But I…"

"A promise is a promise.  You're stronger than this, I know it, so get up."  Risai leaned upward; the sinking feeling began to leave her, as a light seemed to engulf the darkness, and her along with it.  Once the light cleared, she found herself standing in a beautiful field, with flowers of all kinds as far as the eye could see.

"It's good to see you again," came Leon's voice.  He walked up from behind her and was soon standing next to her.

"Why do you keep following me?" she asked, a little annoyed that he kept following her like this.

"I'm just making sure you're okay."

"I don't need you to worry about me.  I can take care of myself."

"You sure?"

"Of course I am!  Stop mocking me!"  Now she was getting angry again.

"I wasn't mocking you."

"Yes you were!  I don't need anyone!  I can take care of myself!  I don't need anyone and I definitely don't need you!"

"That's not true."

"Stop contradicting me!  I don't need you!  I hate you!  Leave and never come back, get killed, it makes no difference to me!  I could care less about what happens to you, so stop worrying about me!"  It was silent for a while as Risai's words began to sink in.

"Fine, I'll go," said Leon in a disappointed tone.  His image faded from the scene, and along with him, went the scenery itself.  Risai was left standing in a barren place.  The sky was dark, almost a grayish color.  The ground was a mix of gray and brown.  Nothing seemed to be in this area.  The only things other than the hard ground beneath her were a few dead trees, their leaves completely gone.  She decided to walk for a while, not knowing where she was going, but she almost wished she was back in the dark place, so that her mind wouldn't have to think like this.  She walked for a while, not knowing where she was suppose to be going.  She began to feel lonely as she walked by herself.  She then came to a more opened area.  It was just as barren as all the rest of it.  Her eyes then landed on a form that lay on the ground.  She recognized the figure instantly, since he was the only thing in the barren place with color.  The dark and light blues of his battle outfit easily gave it away.  She ran over and bent down near him.

"Leon," she said.  She reached out to shake him.  "Hey, wake up."  She kept shaking him, but he didn't wake up.  She pulled her hand away, but then tried again.  "Come on, wake up."  He still didn't move.  She pulled her hand back once again.  She decided to try once more.  There was more concern in her voice now.  "Please wake up.  Open your eyes.  Come on."  She then shook him harder.  "Wake up!"  He still didn't move.  Risai pulled her hand away.  She began to get worried.  She bent down further and got under one of his arms and began to lift him up.  His arm was now around her shoulders.  She placed her arm around his waist to hold him up and her other on his chest to support him.  When she had finally stood up, she moved her hand from his chest and then looked at it, shocked at what she found.  It was a red and sticky substance that couldn't be mistaken by her.  It was blood.  She then looked to him and found a bullet wound in his chest.  It was near his heart.  She had a look of fear and sorrow on her face.  She set him back down.  She checked for a pulse by his neck, but found nothing.  She pulled her hand away and then stood up, staring at him.  She was angry at first, but soon fell to her knees and broke down in tears.

"Leon…" she said quietly.  "I wasn't serious.  I didn't mean it.  I never wanted you to die, I don't hate you; I never did."  She looked to him.  He was untouched, almost the same way he had been a few minutes ago, but she just had to say that she hated him.  She just had to drive him away.  "I'm so sorry.  I never meant to…to…"  She broke down even more.  "Why do people keep getting killed because of me, why?  All you ever did was be nice to me.  You were right too.  Am I really that transparent?  Leon, I'm sorry.  Please come back.  I don't want to be alone.  Please don't die, you can't die on me!"  She then got kind of mad at him.

"What gives you the right to die on me?  I promised that I wouldn't die and then you go and do it!  Why?!  You jerk!  Why'd you have to die?"  She just kept crying.  She then heard footsteps behind her.  She turned and came face to face with a gun.  The person fired it, and Risai blacked out.

******

Risai sat up in her bed quickly.  She was breathing hard and a cold sweat covered her face.  She sat there for a while, trying to regain her composure, but it wasn't working.  She eventually calmed down.  She got out of her bed and left her room, knowing that the last thing she wanted to do was go back to bed.  

'It was just a dream,' she thought to herself.  She walked down the halls, not going anywhere in particular.  She then looked at her wristwatch.  It was 4 in the morning.  'Only two hours till everyone wakes up.'  She then looked to her bracelet; its small, purple gem gleaming in the dim lighting of the hallway.  She then looked to the five smaller gems.  Two were on one side of the purple gem and three were on the other.  The two were gray and so was one of the three on the other side.  The ones that weren't gray were a gold one and a red one.  It pained her to see this, but at the same time she was relieved.  

'I hope you're all right Taban.  I know you're alive and I can feel it.  Just stay safe for now.'  She kept walking down the halls and arrived at the rooms that belonged to the Blitz team.  She was happy that they had decided to join this war, since she felt a certain comfort when they were all around.  

'It feels good to have friends.'  She kept walking and stopped at Leon's room.  

'I know it was just a dream, but…'  She placed her hand on the handle.  'I still need to see for myself.'  She opened the door slowly and quietly.  She found him fast asleep in his bed.  Risai smiled to herself and closed the door.  She gave a sigh of relief, but then seemed confused.  

'Why do I care so much?  He's done nothing except doubt me and my thoughts, so why am I worrying?'  She thought a while and came up with a reasonable answer, for her anyway.  'I must just feel guilty or something.  I don't want to be responsible for another death.'  She thought a little more on the fact.  'And I guess I really don't want to see him die.'  She decided to sidetrack herself with a different question.  'What am I gonna do for another 2 hours?  I don't want to go back to that…place.  It's too painful, but I have nothing to do.'  She decided to go back to her room.  What she was going to do, she didn't know, but she wasn't going back to sleep.

******

Taban lay awake in his prison cell, not wanting to sleep.  He looked at the bracelet on his wrist, his golden gem shining in the pale moonlight.  He then glanced at the other gems.  Three were gray and two weren't.  He smiled.  "It's good to know that they're alright.  I hope it stays that way.  I can't wait to get out of here.  If I know Risai and Miharu, they've probably already thought about breaking me out, but they don't know where this place is.  Darn."  He didn't have anything to do, since he wasn't in the mood to sleep.  "That girl sure seems to know a lot about us, but how?  The only agents left are the three of us.  Toran doesn't count since he's in jail.  This really sucks.  Who is she?"  There were many possibilities.  "Maybe she used to work for the ZBC…but how would she know about agents?  The current time ZBC members don't even know much about that.  All they know about this is how to perform the process.  Maybe she worked with Toran and this is just a plot for revenge."  Nothing was making sense.

"All this thinking is hurting my head.  I'm going to sleep."  And with that, he closed his eyes and fell asleep, still having none of his questions answered.

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I have but one word for you…REVIEW!  Pleasssssse.  I'm begging here.  I love getting reviews and this time, I'm serious about the 28 thing.  I hope you like this, cause I'm having fun with this fic.  Pleas!  Okay, I'm done begging.  Either review or email me.  That's always fun too^.^

Audi^.^


	9. Mistaken Truth

I'm back!  I got enough reviews to write the next chapter, and since I know what happens, I decided to write it!  Just remember to review after reading^.^  I'm glad you guys like this.

And thank you to japanfan for pointing out that I spelt Kernel wrong.  I don't know much about the military.  Thank you^.^

Disclaimer:  I don't own Zoids, only the characters I create, although I wish I didn't own Colonel Garner, who makes another appearance.

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It was 6:00 am now and everyone was crawling out of bed.  There were more classes today, so everyone put on their training uniforms.  Leena walked out of her room and stretched her arms over her head.

"I feel great," she said to herself.  She walked over to Bit's room and pounded on the door.  "Hey Bit, you ready yet?"

"Just a minute," he answered.  Leena just stood in the hallway by Bit's door.  She was then accompanied by footsteps and a very unwanted guest.

"Well hello there," he said.  Leena turned to see none other than Colonel Garner.  He had on a very kind smile, but Leena saw right through his nice exterior.  There was a fake and cheesy tone to his voice.  "I don't think we've met before.  Heaven must be missing an angel."

"Flattery will get you nowhere."

"Come now.  I don't think we've been properly introduced.  I'm Colonel Garner, and you are?"

"Someone who doesn't want to talk to you."

"Oh come on.  I'm sure you don't mean that."

"Wanna bet?"

"Come on.  Let's be friends, alright?"  Just then, the door opened and Bit walked out.  Leena was happy to see him.  Garner turned to him, a look of disgust on his face.  Bit didn't pay any attention to Garner.

"Come on Leena, let's go get some breakfast," said Bit.

"Alright."  Her and Bit walked away from Garner, who then walked away from there and towards Naomi, who had just come out of her room.

"Hello," he said.  Naomi looked to him.  She didn't seem happy to see him, but he just kept smiling.  "May I say you look beautiful today?"

"No, you may not," answered Naomi.  She looked towards Brad's bedroom door, wishing he'd hurry up and come out.  She wanted to get away from this guy as soon as possible.

"You women around here sure don't like to take complements."

"Really?  Was that a complement?  Sorry."

"All of you have such ill tempers.  Come now.  I just want to be friends."  Just then, Brad's door opened.  'Thank God,' thought Naomi.  She quickly grabbed him the minute he got out the door and dragged him away from Garner.

"What are you doing?" asked Brad.

"Hurry up.  I'll tell you later."  Garner just watched after them as they went over to where Bit and Leena stood.  They were in the same hallway, waiting for everyone else to come.

"Just who is that?  Isn't he the one who interrupted our class the other day…Colonel…what was his name?"

"Colonel Garner," said Naomi.

"What's with that guy?" asked Brad.

"Hi you guys," said Meiyuu.  They looked down the hallway that was connected to the end that they were on.  She was smiling to them as she approached.  "What are you guys doing?"

"Standing around waiting," said Bit.

"That and staying away from Garner," added Leena.

"Garner?  You mean Colonel Garner?"

"Yep.  Is Rick with you?"

"No.  He and Mattei went ahead to the breakfast area."

"Then I suggest you don't go down there," said Naomi.

"Could you fill us in here?" asked Bit.  "What is it with this Garner guy that has you all so freaked out?"

"He's a really sick person.  He hits on nearly every girl he sees," said Leena.

"That's why Miharu told us we were lucky because as long as we're with you two, he'll leave us alone," added Naomi.

"I get it," said Brad.

"Same here," agreed Bit.  "We should probably head off to breakfast now."

"Yeah.  Jamie and Leon are already down there too," said Meiyuu.

"Let's go," said Leena.  They walked down the hall towards the breakfast room and away from Garner, who was still standing in the hall.  Just then, Risai turned the corner.  She seemed a little tired.  Garner smiled and walked up to her.  Risai just stopped in her tracks.  'Oh no, not again,' she thought.

"Hello again Risai.  To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"You don't owe anything, so leave me alone."  She tried to walk past him, but he stood in her way.

"Come on now.  I just want to talk."  He smiled kindly to her, but she could see right through him.

"Colonel Garner.  I have to prepare for a class today and if you don't let me through, then I will have no choice but to report you to the authorities.  Now let me through."

"Gee, that hurts."  He didn't move, but Risai saw an opening and quickly took it, taking off at a run.  He turned around, but didn't chase her.  "Come back," he pleaded.  'Yeah right,' thought Risai.  She wanted to get as far away from him as possible.  Garner sighed, but then found Miharu.

"Hello Miharu, you're looking…"

"Save it.  I don't have time today," she said and she just walked right past him and down the hall towards the breakfast room.

******

In the breakfast room, everyone was eating happily.  The breakfast special was pancakes.  The only people who hadn't shown up yet were Risai and Miharu.

"I wonder where Risai and Miharu are," said Rick.

"Yeah, they're missing a great meal," said Jamie.  Leena and Naomi looked to each other.

"You know, in order to get here, they would have had to go by Garner," reminded Naomi.

"I hope Risai is okay.  Miharu should be fine, but from what she said about before…" Leena trailed off.

"Care to fill us in?" asked Bit.  Naomi and Leena looked up back at everyone else, realizing they had just said that louder than they had meant to.

"It's nothing, really," covered Leena.

"Didn't sound like nothing," said Brad.

"So you guys know too," said Meiyuu.

"Yeah," responded Naomi.  Now the only confused people were Brad, Bit, Leon, and Jamie.

"He used to do that even when Taban was here, but now it'll just get worse, especially for Risai," said Meiyuu.

"What are you guys talking about?" asked Bit.  He was loosing patience.

"You know how Colonel Garner was hitting on us?" started Leena.  Bit and Brad nodded their heads.

"Well, we're not the only ones.  With Miharu, he never gets much of anything in, but he seems to, for lack of a better term, hit on Risai."

"And without Taban around, he's going to be persistent," added Rick.  "I've seen him do this already.  He's a really sick guy."

"So what do we do?" asked Jamie.

"Avoid him is what Miharu told us to do," said Naomi.

"That's probably really good advice," said Meiyuu.  Just then, they heard footsteps coming down the hall.  It sounded like someone was running.  They looked towards the door and Risai ran in.  She stopped and looked out of breath, but only slightly.

"What's with you?" asked Bit.

"It's…it's nothing.  Don't worry," she said, lying.  It was easy to tell too.  She walked over to the huge table and took an apple from the fruit bowl in the middle.

"Don't you want to sit down?" asked Leena.

"No, I'd prefer to stand," she said calmly.  She walked out of the room and down the hall.  Just then, Miharu came in.

"What's with her?" asked Bit.

"She ran into Colonel Garner this morning," she answered.

"Oh…" they all said, understanding now.

"He's such a jerk," stated Leena.  "It's a good thing I have you Bit."

"Yeah.  I'll keep you safe, you can count on it."

"Can we not talk about him anymore?" asked Miharu.

"Okay," they said.  She sat down to eat breakfast with them.  Risai stood outside of the breakfast room.  She threw the apple core into a nearby garbage can and then went back to her room.  She sat down at her desk and began to write in her small journal.  She wrote:

'Hi again.  It's still me.  I can't remember when I started to do this, but I have a lot to say.  All of them know now about Colonel Garner.  That jerk, he doesn't leave me alone.  Why can't I be stronger?  If only he weren't a superior, I'd punch him right in the face.  Why did all of them have to find out about him?  Leena and Naomi are lucky, since they have Bit and Brad to help them out.  Miharu scares him, but don't think he hasn't tried this with her too.  Why me?  Why does he have to like me?  I can see right through his nice exterior, no matter how hard he tries to hide it.  He may act all nice, but he's a very sick person.  I can see it in his eyes.  He really scares me and I'm afraid of what he might do.

But no more about that.  I had another dream, and this one was worse than the last.  I'm worried.  What if it actually happens?  I don't see how it can, since there aren't any barren places like that.  I don't know why I'm so upset about all of this.  I don't know why I care either.  Actually, I do, but it's hard to explain.  I don't know what it is about Leon, but, well, he's always so nice to me.  I feel safe when he's around, but I don't now quite why.  I don't want him to die and I don't hate him, even though he does tend to get on my nerves.

Well, I got a class to teach now.

Bye.'

******

"Okay, now that you know the form properly, maybe you guys will be able to hit the targets," said Risai.  They all stood outside on the same tarp covered training ground.  "Now start shooting."

"Yes ma'am."  They all turned around and began shooting.

"I'm glad we don't have to do it this time," said Rick.  He watched as they attempted to hit the targets.  "They're doing alright."

"I'll say.  They're doing much better than you did bro," said Mattei.

"And what's that suppose to mean?"

"That you couldn't hit the side of a barn when you first started," translated Meiyuu.

"Just lay off."  They watched as the Blitz and Fluegel teams aimed and shot at the targets.  Miharu stood against a pole and Risai stood near the stage.  The Fire Star team members were leaning against the stage, watching.

"You guys are doing great," encouraged Risai.

******

At the Backdraft base in the middle of the desert, there seemed to be a big commotion.  Taban sat in his cell, on his bed.  He watched as frantic soldiers rushed about the halls.  Where they were going, he didn't know.  Just then, two men stopped at his cell and opened the door.

"Finally letting me go?" he asked, knowing what the answer was.

"You wish.  You're coming with us.  The General would like to see you."

"General?"  They went in a grabbed him by the arms.  They walked down the halls and towards a separate room.  They opened the door and walked in, still holding him, making sure he wouldn't be able to escape.  The room was very dark, but there was enough light to see that there were guards by the doors.  There was also a desk in the middle of the room where a figure sat.

"Thank you soldiers," she said.  She stood up and walked over towards them.

"Well Taban, we meet again."  She walked out into the area of the room that had some light.  Taban just stared at her, dumbfounded.  She had long black hair, just past her waist.  She wore the normal outfit that an agent would wear.  She had on black pants, a purple shirt and a black over jacket.  Her eyes were the same deep blue as his.

"It's you…Rose," he said.

"Precisely," she said, a smirk on her face.

"But how?  They said you were dead.  Why did you join the Backdraft?  You always said you loved fighting for the ZBC!"

"People change.  The Backdraft had more to offer than your Zoid Battle Commission."

"Why did you capture me?"

"For revenge."

"What did I ever do to you?"

"It's not you I'm after.  You just happened to be the one we caught.  You'll be happy to know that Miharu and Risai made it back to the base, and they brought the Blitz and Fluegel teams back with them."  Taban smiled at this.

"I knew they would."

"It makes no difference.  We'll win this war no matter what."

"You don't know that, but this explains a lot, you know, about how you knew all that stuff about agents."

"Yes, I suppose it does.  I also know something else about them.  By using that bracelet on your wrist, you can summon your zoid when you choose.  We have your zoid down in our hanger, under careful supervision.  You could have summoned it any time and destroyed this base.  We had to take precautions, but it's still a possibility, so I decided it'd be best to avoid that."

"By doing what?"  Rose walked over to Taban and motioned for one of the soldiers to let go.  He did and she quickly took the bracelet from him.  "Hey!  Give that back!"

"By destroying this, you won't be able to call your zoid."

"Big deal.  The ZBC had us make duplicates of them, so I have another one back at the base."

"But you can't get it now, can you?"  She threw the bracelet on the ground and brought her foot down on it.

******

Risai was smiling as she watched the two teams shooting at the targets.  They had definitely gotten better.  Suddenly, she snapped up, a look of pure horror on her face.  She stood still, not moving at all.

"Risai?" asked Meiyuu.  Her, Rick, and Mattei walked up to Risai and noticed the look on her face.  They then saw that Miharu had the same one on her face.  Leena was the first of them to notice.

"Miharu?  What's…wrong?" she asked.  Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked to her.  Neither her nor Risai said anything, but it was easy to tell that both were holding back tears.

"What is it?" asked Bit.

"I can't…I can't feel him anymore," said Miharu.

"Who?" asked Leon.

"Taban."

"No…" said Risai.  She fell to her knees.  "No!"  She looked to her bracelet.  Only one of the gems was lit up.  The golden one was gray like the others now.

"How do you know this?" asked Jamie.

"I can't feel him anymore and his light is out," answered Miharu.  She motioned to her bracelet.  "It means that the bracelet he wears, like this, has been destroyed.  He's gone."  None of them knew quite what to say.

"He can't be…he can't," said Risai.  She suddenly seemed angry.  She quickly stood up and ran out of the training grounds.

"Where is she going?" asked Naomi.

"I don't know, but it's probably not good.  Let's go," said Miharu.  They all ran off after Risai.  Risai ran to the garage where the zoids were being stored.  She was heading for her Genosaurer.  'I'll make them pay for what they did,' she thought to herself.  The others were coming up fast.  Bit and Rick were the first to reach her and they quickly grabbed her by the arms.

"Let go of me!" she yelled.

"No way," said Bit.  It was hard to hold onto her.  Miharu ran up in front of her.

"What are you thinking?  Just what were you planning to do?" asked Miharu, her tone sort of angry.

"I'm going to get revenge," answered Risai, the tears burning her eyes.

"Oh yeah?  How?"

"Easy.  I'll attack their base.  I'll kill every last one of them!"

"Listen to yourself!  This won't help at all.  You'll get yourself killed!"

"I don't care!"

"Look you guys.  Just because you can't sense him anymore doesn't mean he's dead," stated Jamie.

"Risai…are you sure you can't sense him anymore, I mean, you two are siblings," said Leena.

"It doesn't matter!  Don't you get it?  Just because we're siblings doesn't mean we have some kind of connection!  I can't feel him anymore and do you see this?"  She motioned to the bracelet.  "Just like with Miharu's, there's only one other gem that's still shining, other than mine.  This signifies that there are only two of us left!  That light was the only way I could sense him, and now I feel nothing!"

"But it's like Jamie said.  There's still hope.  He could still be very much alive," said Bit.

"You can't lose faith," added Rick.  By this time Risai had stopped struggling.  Bit and Rick let go of her and she fell to her knees.  She was still crying.

"Now come on," said Miharu in a kind tone.  "You have a class to teach."

"I know."  She got up and they all slowly walked back towards the training grounds.

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I hope you guys liked this chapter.  I'm having so much fun writing this.  I'll probably put more up soon.  Remember to review!

Audi^.^


	10. Ground Battle

Well, another chapter.  I'm sorry, but I got caught up in my FF7 race this weekend.  I'm most likely still loosing, since I'm not off the first disc yet.  But I won't give up!

Well, here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer:  See first chapter.

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"Good job you guys," said Risai.  She stood in front of her students.  "I can't believe how quickly you all learned this.  We'll probably get dragged into a ground battle soon, and I think you guys are ready."

"Um, I have a question," said Bit.

"What is it?"

"Why are there ground battles?  Why not just fight all battles in zoids?"

"Because sometimes we have to fight and our zoids are damaged.  That also goes for the other side."

"But if their zoids are damaged, why not just attack them with zoids during a ground battle.  All's fair in love and war, right?"

"True, that is the saying, but I was once told that even in war there are rules to be followed.  If one of the sides wants a ground battle, then the other side will fight it in the same manner.  Neither side would ever go against that rule."

"Oh, I get it, but don't you loose more people during ground battles than in zoid battles?"

"Yes.  I'm sad to say we do, but we're not about to break the rules and go against our honor."

"So will the next battle be a ground battle?" asked Leena.

"Most likely.  I want you guys to keep practicing, because we can't mess up.  Ground battles are hard, and not just by the off chance that you could die.  It's one thing to aim at a target, and another to aim at a real person.  None of you have ever had to kill before, and I wish you didn't, but never go easy on the enemy.  You have to understand that.  Now get back to practicing."

"Yes ma'am," they all answered.  Risai jumped down from the stage and then sat on the ground.  She still felt terrible.  She hated the empty feeling inside of her.  It felt like a part of her had died and it was eating her up inside as the vastness of her pain kept growing.  'I hate war.  Every time I fight in a war, I loose someone.  I can't take it.  I can't take it!  Why can't I end it now?  Maybe I'll die during the ground battle.  Then it'll look like an accident, but…'  She then looked towards Leon.  'I promised I wouldn't die.  Why did I say that?'  She then thought back to what Jamie had said.  'Maybe Taban really isn't gone.  Maybe Jamie was right, but…I hate not knowing.'  She stood up again and walked away from the training grounds, heading back towards the base.

******

It was mid afternoon and everyone was done with their training.  They had all gone to their rooms to rest up.  Leena was in her room, staring at the ceiling when there was a knock at her door.

"Come in."  The door slowly opened and Bit walked in.  Leena sat up and smiled to him.  "Hi Bit."

"Hi," he said in a less cheerful tone.

"What's wrong?"  He walked over and sat on her bed.

"You really wanna know?" he asked.

"Of course.  You can tell me anything, you know that."

"Yeah, I know."

"So then what is it?"

"It's about this ground battle.  I mean, what if…what if…"  He tightened his fists and looked down.  Leena knew what was wrong and she moved closer to him.

"Bit, none of us will die," she said.

"You don't know that.  I mean, in a zoid battle, it's hard to get yourself killed and you can take a ton of hits and live to tell about it, but with this kind of battle, one hit and you could loose your life."

"I know what you mean."

"Leena, I don't want to lose you."

"And I don't want to lose you either, but we have to fight, otherwise we all might die.  We have to defend this base.  We'll all be fine."

"You sure?"

"To be honest, no, but I can just sort of feel it.  We're not gonna die, cause we have too much to live for.  That will keep us going."  Bit smiled.

"I guess you're right," he said, "but something else still bothers me."

"It's about Taban, isn't it," she said in more of a statement than a question.

"Yeah.  Even thought they've gotten over it a little, both Miharu and Risai seem really shaken up about this."

"Well think about it.  Taban is Risai's brother and he's Miharu's best friend, if not more.  Miharu is strong enough to take it, but the way Risai acted kind of scared me."

"I know.  She doesn't seem to care if she dies or not."

"Well, we'll just have to keep an eye on her, won't we."

"Yeah."  They then heard something coming from outside the base.  A siren then sounded.  Both of them walked to the door and out into the hallway.  The soldiers ran through the base frantically.

"What's going on?" asked Bit.  Just then, everyone else ran by.  They stopped at the door.

"We're under attack," said Jamie.  "They want everyone to go to the weapons bay now."

"Is it a…?"

"Yeah, it's a ground battle," answered Naomi.

"Come on," said Rick.  "We don't have time to be messing around."

"Right," said Leena.  All of them began to run towards the weapons bay.  They all got there just as the cargo bay doors opened.  Miharu and Risai were handing weapons and armor to people.  They both looked towards the three teams.

"Here," said Risai.  She began to toss each one of them a rifle and a handgun.

"And put those on," said Miharu as she pointed towards bulletproof vests.  "They'll give you some protection."  They all quickly prepared themselves and then put on the helmets that came with the vests.  (A/N you know, like army hats…I can't explain it any other way, okay?)  Once equipped, they quickly ran out, completely unprepared for what they saw before them.  The ZBC and BD forces were going at it.  The only sounds that were heard were painful cries and gunshots, along with the occasional orders that were given.  They all got out into the battlefield, not sure exactly what to do.  Risai and Miharu followed shortly after.  Neither of them wore the protection armor like the rest of the soldiers.

"Commander Kamosu, what should we do?" asked one of the soldiers.

"Spread out and attack the enemy in groups.  It'll be easier that way.  It's like a divide and conquer strategy.  And don't call me by my last name.  Just call me Risai."

"Yes ma'am."  The soldiers began to divide and conquer.  Members were continually lost from both sides, but the members of the ZBC were winning.  The BD began to retreat, slowly, but surely.

"They're retreating," said Miharu.  "We should most likely do the same.  All units, return to the base!"

"Finally," said a relieved Bit.  All of them had stuck together and had managed to stay alive.  They all began to walk back to the base.  It was Risai's job to make sure they all made it back, but she was suddenly distracted by a soldier of the BD that was hiding behind a rock.  He looked to her and then got scared.  He turned to run and that's when she noticed the name on the back of his military uniform.  It read Jarred.  She thought back to the day that Taban was taken from them and she remembered seeing that name on one of the soldiers.  She got angry once realizing it and began to chase after him.  This did not go unnoticed, but Leon was the only one paying attention.  Everyone else had gone back in, but he stayed out.

"Hey Risai, where are you going?" he asked.  She stopped and looked to him, a look of hate present on her face.

"He's one of the ones who took Taban from me, so I'm going after him."  She turned around and continued to run after the man.  Leon decided it would be best to follow her.  He was a good distance away though.  Risai was doing her best to keep up with the soldier, but they soon turned a corner.  Risai kept running, completely unaware that the man had hid behind some rocks and was now behind her.  She stopped and looked around a little, since she could no longer see where he was.  The man quietly came out from behind the rocks, preparing his gun.  He lifted it up and aimed for her.  Risai froze as she realized what was about to happen.  This scene was all too familiar for her.  She slowly turned around and saw the man, aiming his gun right at her.  She couldn't do much of anything as she watched the man's hand pull the trigger.  Nearby, Leon was watching, but he decided to take action.  He began to run towards her.

"Get out of the way!" he yelled at her, but she couldn't do anything about it.  The man pulled the trigger.  Risai kept her eyes open and watched what happened to her next.  Leon came from the side and shoved her out of the way.  The bullet hit him in his shoulder.  Leon grasped it and fell to his knees.  Risai was now on the ground.  She looked to Leon and then the man.  She quickly pulled out her gun and aimed for him.

"Hey!" she shouted, trying to draw his attention away from Leon.  It worked and he aimed for her again.  She quickly pulled the trigger and shot him in the chest.  The man pulled his gun trigger right after, but his aim was off and he only shot her in the leg.  It still hurt though.  The soldier fell not long after and he didn't show signs of getting back up.  Risai slowly got up and limped over towards Leon, wincing every time she took a step.  She stopped near Leon, who was still holding his shoulder.  She crouched down near him, but ended up sitting down instead.

"Why?" she asked.  He just looked at her, confusion written all over his face.  "Why did you save me?"  He just smiled.

"Because you promised me you wouldn't die, so there's no way I was going to let you."

"But…you could have…"

"Don't worry.  It's over now, right?"

"Yeah."  He stood up, still holding his arm.  Risai slowly stood up again.

"We should probably get back," said Leon.

"Miharu won't be happy with me.  I didn't follow orders."

"It's in the past, okay?  Don't worry about it."  He began to walk back to the base and so did Risai, but with much difficulty.  Not long after starting back, her pain became unbearable and she had to stop.  Leon stopped as well.  He looked back at her and then walked over.

"Come on," he said to her.  She looked up at him.  "I'll help you."  He bent down slightly and she put her arm around his shoulders.  He placed his arm around her waist and they slowly made their way back to the base.

******

It was late now and the sky outside was dark.  There weren't any stars or even the slight sign of the moons.  It was suppose to rain later on in the night.  Risai was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling.  Her leg had been bandaged and she was supposed to stay off of it as often as possible, but she hated to sit still for too long.  'Poor Leon.  I never wanted to hurt him.'  She felt awful about what had happened.  'I forgot to thank him.'  She sat up and swung her legs over the edge of her bed and stood up.  It hurt to stand on her leg, but she decided that she could take it.  She slowly walked out of her room and down the hall, limping as little as possible.  She came to Leon's room and gently knocked on the door.

"Come in," said Leon.  Risai slowly opened the door and poked her head inside.  Leon was sitting on his bed, reading.  He looked up from his book and smiled.  "Hi Risai."

"Hi," she said quietly.  She walked in and closed the door.  "Hey Leon, how's your arm?"  His injury had been bandaged up as well, but since the bullet had hit the joint, he had to put it in a sling, except when he was sleeping.  He had painkillers for that.

"It's fine," he said.

"I'm sorry."

"About what?"

"About what happened.  I'm so sorry; I never wanted you to get hurt."

"It's alright, really, I'm fine."

"I also wanted to say thank you.  You really saved me out there."

"You're welcome, but Risai, should you be walking around with your leg injured like that?"

"Well, no, but I don't want to go lay on my bed."

"Why?"

"Because I might fall asleep."

"Why's that a bad thing?"

"Because I don't want to sleep…I'm afraid."

"Of what?"

"Of going back to that…place.  I don't want to dream anymore.  I hate that feeling…it feels like I'm being devoured.  I hate it.  That's why I can't sleep, because I'll go back there.  I don't want to ever go back to sleep."

"You have to sleep sometime."

"I know, but I'm…scared."  It was quiet for a while.  Risai just stared towards the ground.

"Well," started Leon, "you could stay here for the night, if it'll make you feel better."  'I can't believe I just said that.'  Risai looked up instantly, a small blush appeared on her face.

"S-stay here?  With…you?" she asked, a little nervous.

"Yeah," said Leon.  He just smiled, remaining calm.

"You sure it's okay?  I'm not intruding?"

"Of course not."  She had to think about this.  'I guess I really don't want to walk back to my room and I…I don't want to be alone.'

"Okay."  Leon smiled at her reply.  He put his book down and moved over so that she could sit.  She slowly walked over and sat down.  She really was tired, even though she didn't want to show it.  She sunk into the bed and moved from sitting to lying down.  She was trying to keep her eyes open, but it didn't work and they slowly shut.  Leon was reading when he glanced over and noticed that she was asleep.  She was now on her side, her hands folded under her head as she slept soundly.  'Hard to tell she's a soldier,' thought Leon.

******

It was dark again and empty.  Risai was falling, but she didn't feel like she was being consumed.  Not yet anyway.  The only sound she could hear was her own rhythmic breathing.

"Oh no.  I must have fallen asleep."  She then felt a pull inside of her, as if something was drawing her further into the darkness.

"Stop it!" she yelled as the pull became worse.  "I don't want to!  Leave me alone!"  Are you sure?  Risai looked around and found no one there.

"Who are you?  What do you want with me?"

To deliver you from your suffering

"What?"

You feel empty inside.  I'm here to fill that gap, or perhaps eliminate the problem all together

"You can do that?"

Yes, I can.  I only wish to help, so just give in and let me fill your emptiness  Risai thought for a while before saying anything.

"No."

What?

"I said no.  Let me go!  I don't want to go with you!"

You can't resist me.  I'll take you whether you want me to or not.  There's no way out

"No!  I don't want to go with you!  I want to stay here, with my friends!  I want to live!"

It doesn't matter anymore.  I don't need your approval  Risai could feel herself losing control and she began to slip into unconsciousness.  'I don't want to feel this way anymore,' she thought to herself.  'I hate this.'  Suddenly, she felt the pulling stop.  She opened her eyes and realized that she was no longer falling.  The feeling was slowly disappearing from her mind and she felt as if she was coming back to life after dying.  It scared her at first, but she then realized what it felt like.  It felt as if someone was holding her, pulling her away from the darkness.  She smiled at this new feeling, not wanting it to ever go away.  She closed her eyes and just accepted it as the painful feeling of dying soon disappeared completely.

******

Leon was reading his book.  It was getting late, so he put it down on the nightstand near the bed.  He then looked to Risai.  He smiled, but it soon faded.  Risai was breathing quickly and her face displayed pain.  'No wonder she didn't wanna go to sleep.'  He lied down on the bed and turned to his side.  He watched her for a while.  She curled up tighter, as if trying to disappear from wherever she was, trying to hide from something.  A single tear slid down the side of her face.  Leon wasn't sure what he should do.  He lifted his injured arm, trying not to hurt himself further.  He placed his hand on her shoulder.  Risai was still crying and now she quivered slightly, the pain still present on her face.  Her arms were now crossed over her chest.  It was almost as if she was trying to keep warm.  He used his other arm and slid it under her.  He then brought her carefully into a hug.  It was all he could do for her.  She stopped shaking eventually and her breathing returned to normal.  A small smile was present on her face.  Leon fell asleep, still hugging her.  They both just slept soundly as the sound of a gentle rainfall could be heard outside.

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I hope you guys liked this.  I'm doing the best I can to add in all the characters as often as possible, but there's so many!  I'm doing the best I can!  I'm only human, but according to my friends, I'm on the brink of insanity.  Well, I'm off to go plot revenge on my guy friends.  I want 5 more reviews please!  Then I'll write more.

Audi^.^


	11. Gossip

Well, I got over five reviews, so I guess I should update again. I'm just having one idea after another here and I finally have time to write some more. I saved my Biology homework, well...it's actually a project that we've had for three weeks now, but I saved it until...Tuesday, the day before it was due! I finished it though and I'm proud. It took me 5 hours. People exaggerated as to how long it took to do. Oh well. I'm a procrastinator.  
  
Now on with the story.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own zoids...duh!  
  
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The sun had risen and it was a nice and bright morning. The storm had passed during the night and no one could tell it had been raining. It was a day for people to sleep in if they wanted to, since there weren't any classes or other activities that had to be done. By 9:00 am, almost everyone was out of bed. Risai was still asleep, but her eyes slowly opened and she remembered exactly where she was.  
  
"Good morning." She looked up to see Leon, sitting up on the bed reading, just like the night before. She smiled.  
  
"Good morning," she replied.  
  
"Sleep well?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"That's good." She noticed that Leon's arm was in a sling now. She still felt bad about that. Leon put his book down and got up.  
  
"What time is it?" asked Risai.  
  
"Around 9."  
  
"That's pretty late."  
  
"Yeah. Hey, how about we go get something to eat?"  
  
"Sounds good." She got up out of bed and slowly walked over. The pain came flooding back to her, but she didn't want to show it. "I have to go do something first."  
  
"Okay. I'll go see if everyone else is awake."  
  
"Alright."  
  
******  
  
Meanwhile, Leena, Naomi, and Meiyuu stood in the hallway talking.  
  
"Do any of you know where Risai is?" asked Leena.  
  
"I haven't seen her," said Naomi.  
  
"Well, she's not in her room. Where else could she be?" asked Meiyuu.  
  
"I don't know." They were all standing around outside of Leena's door.  
  
"Well, I'm gonna go and look for her," said Leena.  
  
"I'll go with you," said Naomi. They walked down the hallway and around the corner. Meiyuu sighed and leaned against the wall. She just glanced around at all the rooms. The door to Leon's room then opened. Meiyuu turned her attention to it and watched. Leon walked out followed by Risai. Meiyuu just stared. She walked to the corner of the hallway and watched from there.  
  
"Okay, so I'll go to the kitchen as soon as I finish my errand."  
  
"And I'm gonna go find everyone else. They probably haven't eaten yet."  
  
"Good idea." They began to walk off, but Risai stopped and turned around. "And Leon? Thank you." He stopped and smiled to her.  
  
"You're welcome." They both turned around and began to walk away.  
  
"Bye."  
  
"Bye." Risai was walking in the direction that Meiyuu was in. Meiyuu quickly ran down the hall to find Leena and Naomi. She soon found them.  
  
"Hey guys, wait up!" she called. They both stopped and turned to her.  
  
"What is it?" asked Naomi. Meiyuu stopped when she caught up with them.  
  
"I found Risai. She's coming this way, I think."  
  
"That's nice, but what's with the hurry?" asked Leena.  
  
"Well, she was with Leon. That's why we couldn't find her."  
  
"With Leon?"  
  
"Yeah. They both walked out of his room. She said thank you and then they both walked off."  
  
"And?" asked Naomi.  
  
"Well, last night, around midnight or so, I was up walking around and I saw her door was open. She wasn't in her room last night." They all thought about this and then smirked.  
  
"I get it," said Leena.  
  
"Same here," said Naomi. They were still smirking.  
  
"Hi guys," said Risai. They all turned to her as she walked up to them. She noticed the sly looking smirks on their faces and stopped.  
  
"Hello Risai," said Leena in a sly voice.  
  
"Hi," said Risai a little more nervously than before.  
  
"Where were you last night?" asked Meiyuu, the same sly tone in her voice.  
  
"Um...I was sleeping."  
  
"Where?" asked Naomi.  
  
"Uh..."  
  
"Word has it that you slept in Leon's room last night," said Meiyuu. Risai's face was turning red. They were all still smirking. Her face was now a bright red.  
  
"It's not like that!" she yelled, a little angry and embarrassed. "I wasn't feeling good, so he asked me if I wanted to stay in his room for the night, so I kindly accepted his offer. That's all!" They all dropped their smirks, but they were still smiling.  
  
"Chill, we were just kidding around," said Leena. Risai's face was still red.  
  
"Anyway," said Risai. "I came here to tell you guys to come and eat breakfast. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go find Miharu." She walked past them and down the hall, away from them.  
  
"Was it just me or was her face totally red?" asked Meiyuu, a hint of amusement in her voice.  
  
"That or it was sun burn," said Naomi. They all began to walk down towards the garage to find the guys.  
  
******  
  
After Leena, Naomi, and Meiyuu had found Bit, Brad, and Rick, they talked for a while and then left. They decided to head for the kitchen to get something to eat. Not long after that, Leon walked into the garage.  
  
"Hi guys," he said. They all looked to him and then jumped down from their zoids.  
  
"Hi Leon," said Bit. Leon walked over to where they were.  
  
"Hey Leon. Word has it that Risai was with you last night," said Rick.  
  
"Yeah," said Leon, feeling a little uneasy.  
  
"Hey, um, did you guys...um, you know..." started Bit. Leon's face turned a bright red from pure embarrassment.  
  
"No, of course not!" he shouted. "She just spent the night in my room because she wasn't feeling well, alright?"  
  
"Hey, don't get so defensive," said Rick. Leon cooled down a little.  
  
"Anyway, it's time for breakfast, alright?" he told them.  
  
"Alright," they all answered. The four of them made their way down to the kitchen.  
  
******  
  
Risai walked down the hallway to Miharu's room. She walked in to find an anxiously awaiting Miharu.  
  
"Hi," said Risai.  
  
"Hello."  
  
"Um, last night, you said you wanted to talk to me in the morning, and here I am."  
  
"Well, first off, I'm sure you know what I'm about to say."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Risai, you have to stop putting yourself in danger like this. You really could have gotten killed, and even worse; you put Leon in danger as well."  
  
"It's not my fault he followed me."  
  
"It's a good thing he did, because otherwise you'd be dead."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Anyway, that's not the only thing I wanted to talk about."  
  
"Well, what is it?"  
  
"Last night, the Backdraft forces attacked a nearby village. They burned it completely to the ground."  
  
"What? But we clearly stated that both sides are not supposed to attack civilians."  
  
"I know. The survivors are being transported to this base where they will be staying until we can find a safer place for them."  
  
"Are they all, you know, fathers and mothers? Old people?"  
  
"No. Almost all of them are children."  
  
"Just like before," said Risai quietly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing. How sad. All those kids lost their parents."  
  
"It's sad indeed. Like I said, they will remain here and since you and Leon went and got yourselves injured, you two will be looking after them for the majority of the time."  
  
"I guess that's fair."  
  
"Well, that's all. They should be here within the next hour."  
  
"Okay. Well, I'm going to go down to the kitchen and get something to eat."  
  
"Alright. I guess I'll come too. I haven't eaten anything yet." Both of them walked out of the room and down towards the kitchen.  
  
******  
  
The table in the kitchen was full of food. There were mostly pancakes, bacon, eggs, and sausages. It smelt great. Everybody sat at the long table, eating. No one really said anything, since there wasn't much to talk about. They were soon done and began to walk around, looking for something to do. Miharu stood in the garage near the door, since it was wide open. The door was actually the entire wall. People were continuously moving things in and out. Just then, a whale king landed outside of the area, away from the small camp. Miharu smiled and walked off to find the others. Luckily, they were all together, standing in the hallway talking.  
  
"Hi Miharu," said Bit upon noticing her presence.  
  
"Hi," she said back. "Since you guys aren't doing anything right now, I'd like you to follow me."  
  
"Where are we going?" asked Leena.  
  
"To the garage."  
  
"Why?" asked Jamie.  
  
"Just come on." They all walked down to the garage and came just in time to see some soldiers escort a group of people in. They were mostly kids with a few adults.  
  
"What's going on?" asked Rick.  
  
"These are war victims. Their town was attacked last night and they have nowhere else to go, so we're letting them remain here," explained Miharu.  
  
"Oh," they all said in unison. Risai walked up next to Miharu and smiled.  
  
"I think I'm gonna like this," she said.  
  
"Yeah. You won't be bored anymore," said Miharu. She then looked to the rest of them.  
  
"Okay you guys, there's work that has to be done around here. These people are going to need a place to stay, so we're going to put them on the lowest level of this base. They'll be safe there. I'm gonna need you guys to help prepare the rooms, since that area isn't one of the most comfortable." She then looked to Leon. "Looks like you luck out Leon. Since you got injured, you're going to stay here and help look after all these kids."  
  
"Okay," he said.  
  
"Well, let's go." And with that, the Blitz team, Fire Star team, Naomi, and Miharu all walked off.  
  
"Come on," said Risai. Her and Leon walked off to meet their newest task.  
  
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And that's a wrap! I'm having so much fun with this! I hope you like this chapter, cause I, for one, did. I can't believe I got those reviews so fast. Cool! It'd be fun to break 50, but I know that's impossible. Well, I at least want 7 more please, cause that'd be cool! Please? Well, I'm sorry, but I gotta go continue my FF7 race. Audi^.^ 


	12. Big Battle

Well, it's been...awhile, I guess. I don't mean to brag or anything, but I get a six day weekend! It's MEA and professionals day, so I get off from school and it's packed full of different things I get, or have, to do. I get to go to a Halloween party, but I also have doctors appointments. Well, on with this chapter!  
  
A little about this chapter: Just think of a tone of little kids and how much fun I'm gonna have when Leon and Risai have to watch them^.^ I can use them to further things...  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own zoids, just the characters I create.  
  
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Leon and Risai walked over to the children who were looking around the base. They all had expressions of amazement on their faces.  
  
"Hello," said Risai. The kids all turned to her and Leon. Most of them broke out into smiles.  
  
"Hi Risai," they all said happily.  
  
"They know you?" asked Leon.  
  
"Yeah. They're from a village to the west of here. I've visited there before and even lived there for a few weeks."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Who's he?" asked one of the little girls.  
  
"This is my friend Leon."  
  
"Hi," said Leon.  
  
"Hello," said all the little kids.  
  
"So, hey, are you going to play with us?" asked an excited little boy.  
  
"Sure, why not," responded Risai.  
  
"Yay!" cheered the little kids.  
  
******  
  
A few days passed without any attacks from the Backdraft and everyone was now awaiting an attack. The people from the town were still at the base, since they had nowhere else to go. The rooms had been finished in the basement. In the garaged area, Leon and Risai were still playing around with the kids.  
  
"Hey Mr. Leon?" asked one of the kids. Leon turned to look at the little boy.  
  
"What is it? And just call me Leon."  
  
"What happened to your arm?" Leon still had to wear the sling. Risai, who was crouching down so that she was the same height as the kids around her, looked up to Leon.  
  
"I hurt it," answered Leon.  
  
"Hey Risai, you're hurt too," said one of the little girls, motioning to Risai's leg.  
  
"What happened?" asked another kid.  
  
"I got injured," answered Risai.  
  
"During a battle?" asked the little girl.  
  
"In the war?" added another.  
  
"Yeah, and I would have been hurt a lot worse," she turned to Leon, "but luckily, Leon came and saved me."  
  
"Wow," said the little boy. "Like a hero?"  
  
"Yep. Like a hero," answered Risai. She smiled at Leon, causing him to blush slightly. She turned back around and began to tell the kids some of her stories from the war. Leon just stood there, watching. 'How strange. I just can't figure her out. One minute she's barking orders and acting tough, the next she's like this and other times she seems so hurt. It's hard to believe that this is the same girl who was crying a few nights ago.' He just stared at her as she laughed with the kids. A smile appeared on his face. Risai stopped laughing, but kept her smile. She glanced out of the corner of her eye at Leon. He was watching her. 'Why is he staring at me?'  
  
"Hey Leon."  
  
"What?" he said, looking her in the eyes.  
  
"What's wrong, you were staring."  
  
"It's nothing. I'm fine." She turned back around, but continued to glance at him. He was still watching her, which made her a little nervous. Just then, a few familiar people appeared in the doorway.  
  
"Hey Leon," said Bit. Leon turned away and looked to Bit, Leena, and Jamie.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"We need some help. Do you mind?"  
  
"No, not at all." Risai was now watching him as he began to walk away. He turned to look at her, but she quickly turned away, a slight blush on her face. He was soon out of the room, leaving her alone with the 20 some kids.  
  
"Hey, why's your face red?" asked the same little girl as before.  
  
"It's not red," answered Risai.  
  
"Yes it is," said one of the little boys.  
  
"Is it because you're sick?" asked the little girl.  
  
"No, I am not sick."  
  
"Oh, my mommy told me about this. You're blushing," said another little girl.  
  
"Why?" asked a little boy.  
  
"Maybe she likes someone," said another girl.  
  
"I know. You like that guy, Leon, don't you?"  
  
"No. Leon and I are just friends, okay?" answered Risai in the calmest tone she could manage. The kids all began to laugh amongst themselves.  
  
******  
  
It had now been one week since the Backdraft last attacked. The people from the town were still there. Everything was settling down around the base and there was nothing to be done. Leon and Risai's injuries had healed now and everyone was ready for combat. It was a cloudy day, mid afternoon. Everyone was just sitting around the base, trying to think of something to do. They would soon be rewarded, but not the kind of reward they wanted. The familiar sirens began to sound throughout the base.  
  
"What's going on?" asked Bit.  
  
"Don't you know?" asked Leena.  
  
"We've been through this a ton of times," said Naomi.  
  
"Look, it's just that we've had a lot of drills lately, so what makes you think this is for real?" asked Bit. The base then shook violently.  
  
"Does that answer your question?" asked Brad.  
  
"Let's go," said Leena. They all began to run down the hall towards the now very familiar garage area. Everyone was in a panic as many zoids were approaching the base.  
  
"What's going on?" asked Bit. One of the soldiers stopped running and looked to the four of them.  
  
"We're under attack. We're trying to get the civilians to the underground area of the base, but some of the kids are missing."  
  
"Really?" they all asked in shock.  
  
"Yes. The Fire Star team, along with Risai, are looking for them."  
  
"What should we do?" asked Brad.  
  
"Get to your zoids and help us defend this base. These are direct orders from Miharu."  
  
"Alright," said Naomi. They all went to their zoids and mobilized. Leon and Jamie were already out on the battlefield, along with Miharu.  
  
"Good, you guys came," said Miharu.  
  
"Yeah, so what should we do?" asked Bit.  
  
"Keep them away from the base."  
  
"Okay. Let's see how many there are," said Leena. She used her radar and pinpointed all of the enemy troops. "There's hundreds!"  
  
"What?!" yelled Bit.  
  
"You're kidding," said Naomi.  
  
"I'm afraid she's not," answered Jamie. "There are hundreds and they just keep coming."  
  
"There's no way we can hold them all off," complained Bit.  
  
"Even so, we have to try," said Miharu. "We can't let them take this base." They all began to fight off the enemy troops, doing whatever then could. Meanwhile, the base was still under attack, as stray fire would hit the tents and the base. The ground shook every time one would come in contact. The civilians were all taking cover in the bottom level of the base. The children were being gathered and they were pretty sure they had everyone.  
  
"Okay, I think that's all of them," said Rick. Him, Meiyuu, and Mattei took the kids down to the bottom level. The few parents who were there were relieved to see that the kids were all right. Risai was downstairs as well, trying to keep it all organized.  
  
"Okay, you guys go in there," she said as she directed people to the safest areas. One of the adults was walking around, looking at all of the children. She seemed worried. She soon walked over to where Risai was standing.  
  
"Excuse me," she said. Risai turned to face the woman. She had long brown hair and eyes to match.  
  
"Can I help you?" asked Risai.  
  
"I was wondering if you've seen my son, Danny," she said.  
  
"Your son?"  
  
"Yes. He has short brown hair and brown eyes."  
  
"Isn't he with the kids over there?" She pointed to the large group. The woman turned and looked, but quickly turned around again.  
  
"No, I don't see him there," she answered.  
  
"You're absolutely sure?" asked Risai, a little bit of concern in her voice.  
  
"Yes, I'm positive." Risai thought for a while and then began to walk away towards the stairs.  
  
"Hey Rick. You guys take care of things here, alright?" she yelled to Rick.  
  
"Okay, sure, but where...?"  
  
He didn't have time to finish, since she was already up the stairs and out of hearing distance. Risai ran to the nearest door and eventually found her way outside. It was mayhem. Tents had collapsed and some were on fire. The battle was still ensuing.  
  
"Brown hair and brown eyes," she repeated to herself. She then thought back a little and tried to picture the kids. She soon remembered back to the week before and that very embarrassing question. 'I know. You like that guy, Leon, don't you,' he had asked. It had to be him, Danny. He had brown hair and brown eyes. She continued to walk through out the area.  
  
"Danny! Are you out here?" she called. "If you can hear me, then answer!"  
  
"I'm over here," came a faint voice. Risai ran towards the direction the voice was coming from. "Please, help me!"  
  
"Don't worry, I'm coming," she called out to him. She finally got there and discovered the reason as to why he couldn't get back to the base. Half of him was trapped under a huge pile of rocks.  
  
"Risai, help me!" he pleaded.  
  
"Don't worry," she said, "I will." She went over to the huge rock pile and began to try and remove the rocks, but they were too heavy for her to lift on her own. "Darn it. I'm gonna need help."  
  
"Don't leave me here," pleaded Danny.  
  
"Don't worry. I'm not planning on leaving." She raised her arm into the air, the small bracelet's gem glowing. Back at the base, the Genosaurer began to move, it's eyes shining. It walked out of the base and began its way over. This did not go unnoticed. Miharu watched as the Genosaurer walked away from the base.  
  
"It looks like Risai called for her Genosaurer," she said.  
  
"Why would she do that?" asked Bit.  
  
"She must need it for something."  
  
"What if she's in danger and needs help?" asked Leena.  
  
"Risai is a perfectly capable person. She can take care of herself."  
  
"Hope you're right," said Leon. The Genosaurer soon arrived at its location. Risai lowered her arm and then pointed it to the pile of rocks. The Genosaurer lowered its head and slowly began to move the rocks from the pile.  
  
"Wow, how did you make it do that?" asked Danny in shock.  
  
"With this bracelet. That, and with emotions."  
  
"Emotions?"  
  
"Yes. Even though it's been forgotten, there is a sort of saying that zoids act upon our emotions. All zoids have minds of their own and we humans allow them to unleash their true abilities. There's no limit to how powerful a zoid can become." The Genosaurer finished removing the rocks and Danny got up.  
  
"Now what?" he asked.  
  
"Now you're going to get in my Genosaurer."  
  
"What? But I can't pilot a zoid."  
  
"You don't have to. I'll have it take you back to the base."  
  
"But what about you?"  
  
"The cockpit of the Genosaurer is smaller than other cockpits are, and I wouldn't be able to pilot it with you inside, so I'll control it from the ground. I'll have it come back for me after you're back at the base, alright?"  
  
"Alright."  
  
"And besides, I have to keep a look out for any more people who might have gotten lost out here."  
  
"Okay." The Genosaurer bent down and the cockpit opened. Danny climbed inside and the cockpit closed. Risai pointed to the base and the Genosaurer began its walk back. She just stood there and gave a sigh of relief. She looked around the area, trying to see if anyone else was out there. Some of the tents were on fire and others had just collapsed. The sound of gunfire was everywhere, along with the sound of grinding metal. She began to walk around, not wanting to stay in one place for too long. She heard an explosion nearby and looked around. One of the huge rock formations just outside of the base had been hit. Rocks were tumbling down on the unsuspecting zoids.  
  
"This is horrible," she said to herself. She stood there for a while, not knowing what to do. There didn't seem to be anyone else around the area that needed help. A familiar roar caught her attention. Her Genosaurer had come back. It lowered its head and opened the cockpit. Risai climbed in and the hatch closed.  
  
"Alright, let's go." The Genosaurer ran towards the battlefield, where the enemy seemed to just keep coming. The Zoid Battle Commission's forces were slowly making there way towards the center of the enemy group.  
  
"Is there no end to these guys," asked Naomi in an annoyed tone.  
  
"I can't believe it's taking so long," said Leena. Just then, the Genosaurer made it to the group.  
  
"Sorry I'm late," apologized Risai. "What'd I miss?"  
  
"Well, we're almost to the center of the enemy group. There doesn't seem to be any end to them," explained Bit.  
  
"Hey, what's that?" asked Brad. They all looked forward, behind the enemy units, and saw what appeared to be a black Whale King. Enemy units were being dispatched from it.  
  
"It's the enemy transporter," said Jamie.  
  
"I bet if we take that out, then the enemy will retreat," said Bit.  
  
"It's worth a try," said Miharu. "We'll have to focus all of our fire power on the Whale King."  
  
"Alright, then let's do this." The all began to attack the enemies around them, trying to open up a path to the Whale King, but more enemy units just kept coming out.  
  
"Let me handle this," said Risai. The clamps when down and the cannon came out of the mouth. The familiar glow was seen. They all cleared out of the way as the gun fired, taking out many enemy zoids.  
  
"Okay, hit it now," said Miharu.  
  
"This is a job for me," said Leena. "Weasel Unit Total Assault!" All her guns fired at once, the bullets heading right for the Whale king. Everyone else fired all the guns they had, easily damaging the unprotected Whale King.  
  
"My turn," said Risai. She fired a second charged particle beam, coming in contact with the transporter zoid. A huge explosion followed. The enemy slowly began to retreat from the battlefield.  
  
"Yes!" they all cheered. All of the soldiers were celebrating and cheering.  
  
"Let's here it for our first major victory!" shouted one of the soldiers.  
  
"Attention everyone!" came a voice from the base. He was using a loud speaker. Everyone was quiet. "Congratulations on a job well done. This was a major victory for our side and what better way to award our brave fighters than with a party, held tonight!" said the general. They all cheered even more. They all began to load their zoids into the garage and most ran off soon after to prepare for the party they would be attending.  
  
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Well, that was a long chapter....anyways, I hope you like this. I'm hoping for 5 more reviews, but I really wanna break 50 with this chapter. I'd be happy with 50. Well, anyway, this fic might have to have its rating boosted in a few chapters. I'm debating on doing that, or just putting a warning on the chapter. I don't think it's that big of a deal, since the only reason it's rated PG right now is that there's violence and killing at some parts. I don't put swearing in my stories, cause I don't swear. Tell me what you think I should do. Gotta go! Audi^.^ 


	13. Hanging By A Moment

Hi! I got 50 now, so I'm gonna write more. For those of you who read Premonition, which should be all of you, then you must have noticed that I like writing song chapters, and, well, this is gonna be one of them. I love this song, and I think it fits well with this chapter. Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own zoids, only the characters I make. I also don't own the song "Hanging By A Moment", by Lifehouse.  
  
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(Music starts)  
  
The huge room was full of people. Some stood around talking and others were walking around. Music began to play in the background and couples were out on the dance floor, dancing to the wonderful music. Everyone was wearing their normal outfits. Not one wore anything that resembled the military. They all seemed really comfortable and were all enjoying themselves.  
  
(Desperate for changing  
  
Starving for truth  
  
I'm closer to where I started  
  
I'm chasing after you)  
  
The Blitz, Fire Star, and Fluegel team members all stood around, talking. The music then started up again and more and more people were swarming the dance floor.  
  
"That looks like fun," said Leena with a smile.  
  
"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Bit. He took her hand and ran out onto the dance floor.  
  
"Wait for us," said Naomi as she ran out, bringing Brad with her. He had a smile on his face.  
  
"We're coming too," said Rick as he ran out with Meiyuu. The others just smiled as they stood against the wall. Miharu and Risai were standing away from them. They were close to the entrance. They seemed to be talking about something.  
  
(I'm falling even more in love with you  
  
Letting go of all I've held onto  
  
I'm standing here until you make me move  
  
I'm hanging by a moment here with you)  
  
The three couples were all dancing on the dance floor. The music wasn't extremely fast, but it wasn't extremely slow either. Doc went over to get something to eat and Mattei decided to sit down at a table. Jamie and Leon were left standing against the wall.  
  
"Hey Leon?" asked Jamie. Leon looked to him.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"Don't you feel, you know, left out?"  
  
"Not really. What about you?"  
  
"No, but you should be out there too." Leon didn't say anything. He looked over to the door and saw Miharu and Risai. They were laughing about something. Risai seemed happy again. He smiled upon seeing her laughing. Doc walked over and looked towards his son. He then looked to where he was looking and smiled.  
  
"Go on," said Doc.  
  
"What?" asked Leon, looking towards his dad.  
  
"If you want to, then just go and ask."  
  
"Are you serious?"  
  
"Of course. You gotta take some risks," said Doc, putting emphasis on the word "some".  
  
"Alright, I'll do it," said Leon. He pushed off from the wall and began to walk over towards where Risai and Miharu were standing. Miharu was against the wall and Risai was facing her. They seemed to be talking about something.  
  
"Don't you feel lonely, Miharu?" asked Risai.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because Taban isn't here."  
  
"I guess. Not really though. What about you?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Speaking of Taban, what do you say that once we find out where that base is that we break him out?"  
  
"Sounds good. Knowing him, he's probably already tried about 20 times."  
  
"And they've probably all failed." They both laughed at this.  
  
(Forgetting all I'm lacking  
  
Completely incomplete  
  
I'll take your invitation  
  
You take all of me)  
  
They were still laughing when a voice broke through them.  
  
"Hi," said Leon. They both stopped and Risai turned to look at him, a smile on her face.  
  
"Hi," she said.  
  
"I was wondering if you...wanted to dance," he said. He extended his hand to her, palm up. Risai looked to him, not sure exactly what to say to him. Miharu smiled.  
  
"Go ahead," she coaxed. "It'll do you some good to have a little fun."  
  
"Alright," said Risai, a little nervous.  
  
"Come on," said Leon. He took her hand, causing her to blush slightly and then began to lead her to the dance floor. She looked back at Miharu, who just smiled to her as she and Leon disappeared into the crowd of dancing people.  
  
(Now I'm falling even more in love with you  
  
Letting go of all I've held on to  
  
I'm standing here until you make me move  
  
I'm hanging by a moment here with you  
  
I'm living for the only thing I know  
  
I'm running and not quite sure where to go  
  
And I don't know what I'm diving into  
  
Just hanging by a moment here with you)  
  
They made it out onto the dance floor and began to dance, just like everyone else out there. (A/N okay, since I suck at describing or even coming up with dances, I'm gonna tell you what to picture. It's like the dance from FF8, but for those who don't know about it, it's kind of like ballroom dancing, but a little more, um.different, I guess.)  
  
Leon spun Risai out and then brought her back in, as close to him as she could get. The music was slowing down slightly. Risai smiled to him.  
  
"Thanks Leon," she said.  
  
"For what?"  
  
"You're always so nice to me, even though I haven't always been nice to you. I usually end up yelling at you, but you never seem to care. Why is that?"  
  
"I don't know. I guess that's just the way I am." He smiled.  
  
"Well, then I want you to promise me something."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Promise me that you'll never change, you know. That you'll always be...you."  
  
"Of course I'll always be me. I promise."  
  
"Thanks." The happiness of the dance was then rudely interrupted when a huge explosion nearby shook the entire foundation. The music stopped and everyone did their best to stay standing through the shaking.  
  
"What's going on?" asked Leena. They all ran to the center of the room.  
  
"I'm not sure," said Risai.  
  
"We're under attack!" yelled Miharu. "Everyone get to your zoids now!"  
  
(There's nothing else to lose  
  
There's nothing else to find  
  
There's nothing in the world  
  
That could change my mind)  
  
Everyone ran down the halls and towards the garage. All the soldiers began to climb into the many different zoids and began heading out to face the enemy.  
  
"We just had a battle this afternoon!" complained Bit. "How could they have enough forces left to attack us again?"  
  
"Who knows," said Naomi.  
  
"It doesn't matter," said Rick. "They're here now and we have to go and defend this base."  
  
"Yeah," sighed Bit. They all jumped into their zoids and soon enough, everyone was out on the battlefield, fighting off the oncoming Backdraft forces.  
  
"Alright everyone, spread out and destroy the enemy," said Risai.  
  
"Yes ma'am," answered many of the soldiers. The battle was just like any other battle. Both sides were loosing warriors.  
  
(There is nothing else..... There is nothing else... There is nothing else)  
  
The battle had gone on for a while and the Blitz, Fire Star, and Fluegel team members were all spread out on the battlefield. Leena was having the most problems. She was being gained up on by Rev Raptors and Spino Sappas. All the Backdraft forces were painted the color black, making it easy to distinguish them from the ZBC warriors.  
  
"I'll show you," said Leena. "Weasel Unit Total Assault!" She took out quite a few enemy zoids with her attack, but others kept coming.  
  
"Darn it," she said to herself. "Let's see how you like this!" She tried the attack once more, but came to a shocking realization. She was out of ammo. "Oh no," said Leena. She was then attacked head on by three Rev Raptors. She was doing the best she could to fight them off, but she knew that she was in trouble.  
  
Meanwhile, Bit wasn't that far off from where she was. He finished off another enemy and looked towards Leena. She was definitely in trouble.  
  
"No, Leena!" yelled Bit. Her zoid was now lying on the ground, at the mercy of the enemy zoids. "Come on Liger!" Liger growled in recognition and began to run towards Leena, but he was forced to stop as a Genosaurer moved in front of him.  
  
"Risai? What are you doing?! Get out of my way!"  
  
"I can't let you go over there! You'll be putting yourself in danger as well!"  
  
"I don't care, I have to help Leena!"  
  
"Bit! You'll just be putting yourself in danger! Both of you could be killed! We have to think this through!"  
  
"By the time we're done thinking, Leena could be dead, and I'm not letting that happen!"  
  
"Bit, you can't let your feeling cloud your judgment!"  
  
"Oh, and you should talk! You have no right to give advice when you don't even follow it yourself!" Risai didn't say anything, she just sat there, thinking.  
  
"Now out of my way!" yelled Bit. He ran past her and she didn't even try to stop him this time. She just sat in the cockpit, looking down at the console. She clenched her fists as realization finally hit her. She could only think of one thing to do right now, so she grabbed the controls and turned her Genosaurer in the opposite direction and began to run after Bit. One of the Rev Raptors was about to break off the head of Leena's zoid when it was jumped on by the Liger Zero. Leena seemed very relieved.  
  
"Thanks Bit," she said.  
  
"Anytime," responded Bit. Little did they know that a Spino Sappa was sneaking up on them. Leena was the first to notice, but it was too late to do anything.  
  
"Bit, look out!" she yelled, but there wasn't time for him to act. It was about to bring its saws down on both of them.  
  
(Desperate for changing  
  
starving for truth  
  
I'm closer to where I started  
  
I'm chasing after you)  
  
The Spino Sappa was then slammed into a wall by the Genosaurer, right before it could even touch the Liger Zero or the Gun Sniper.  
  
"Thanks Risai," said Bit.  
  
"Anytime. I'm not about to let two of my best soldiers die," she said. "You two okay?"  
  
"I think so," said Leena.  
  
"This battle should end soon," said Risai. "Miharu should be coming this way."  
  
"Do you think you can get up?" asked Bit.  
  
"I don't know," responded Leena. She tried to get the Gun Sniper to stand, but to no avail. Leena looked up towards where Risai was and then noticed something move behind the Genosaurer. It was a Rev Raptor and it was coming up behind Risai quickly.  
  
"Risai! Behind you!" yelled Leena. Bit then looked as well.  
  
"Look out!" he yelled. Risai seemed confused. She turned her zoid around and then realized what was happening. The Rev Raptor was swinging its tail towards her and it was moving too fast. She stared on in pure fear as it came closer. 'This is it,' said her mind. 'I'm gonna die.' There was only one thought on her mind, as the inevitable was about to happen. 'I'm sorry Leon.'  
  
(I'm falling even more in love with you  
  
Letting go of all I've held onto  
  
I'm standing here until you make me move  
  
I'm hanging by a moment here with you)  
  
The tail of the Rev Raptor came in contact with the cockpit of the Genosaurer, crushing the medal and shattering the glass. The Liger Zero quickly shot down the Rev Raptor. They couldn't do anything for Risai. The Genosaurer had been hit so hard that it was thrown against the rock wall. The cockpit was completely messed up. Just then, two zoids rushed towards them. They had seen everything. It was Miharu and Leon. Leon stopped his red Blade Liger and then opened the cockpit. He jumped out and began to make his way over to the Genosaurer. Miharu landed her zoid and then got out as well. She began to follow Leon. They soon made it over. They both climbed up the zoid and towards the shattered cockpit. There was no way to get her out without opening the cockpit, since the sharp glass from the cockpit would have just injured them if they tried, so they had to open it. They both began to pry it open. 'You better be alive Risai,' thought Leon. 'You can't die on me, not like this.'  
  
(I'm living for the only thing I know  
  
I'm running and not quite sure where to go  
  
And I don't know what I'm diving into  
  
Just hanging by a moment here with you.....)  
  
They eventually got it open and both were pained by what they saw. Glass was everywhere in the cockpit. The controls were broken and twisted. The console was fried and the safety harness was gone. As for Risai, she was worse off than the cockpit. She was unconscious and covered with glass. Blood seeped through her many cuts from the glass that was embedded in her body. There was a huge cut on her head and a trail of blood was running from it.  
  
"Oh man," said Miharu. "We have to get her out of here."  
  
"Right," said Leon. He carefully got closer to her and gently lifted her from the seat. She cried out in pain as she was removed from the cockpit. They both carefully climbed down from the zoid and began to run back to their own.  
  
(Just hanging by a moment  
  
Hanging by a moment  
  
Hanging by a moment)  
  
They reached their own zoids. Miharu quickly got into hers and left before Leon in order to get the medical area ready. Leon carefully climbed up his zoid, doing his best to not shift Risai much. Every time he moved her just slightly in his arms, she'd cry out in pain. He finally made it into his zoid and carefully set her on his lap. He then closed the cockpit and turned his zoid around. He was heading back towards the base. He looked her over to see just how badly she was hurt. He let go of one of the controls and maneuvered with just one hand. He used the other to check for a pulse. It scared him that it was weak and her breathing was shallow, almost as if she wasn't breathing at all.  
  
"You're not going to die on me," he said to himself. "I'll make sure of it."  
  
(Hanging by a moment here with you)  
  
******  
  
(A/N the song is done now...just letting you know.)  
  
A woman with black hair and blue eyes stood on a cliff above the battle that was taking place. She looked through her binoculars at all of it. She smirked and then took them away from her face.  
  
"Serves you right Risai," she said to herself. She had seen the whole thing and was enjoying it.  
  
"But I wonder..." she said. "Who was that guy?"  
  
**************************************************************************** ********************  
  
Well now, wasn't that fun! Yeah, I'm a little hyper right now, and there isn't a good reason for that. I just spent a good hour and a half outside in the freezing cold for a football game. It was not fun, I repeat, it was NOT fun. Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter. And when I said it might have to be raised to PG-13, it's for a certain reason. I'll give ya a hint. It involves a certain character that I made. I probably won't raise the rating, but I will put up an advanced warning. Gotta go. Audi^.^ 


	14. A Painfull Past

Hi! I decided to write the next chapter. It's been a while. I have a lot of stuff on my mind right now and it's scaring me to death. I hate it. Anyway, I guess I should get on with it.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own zoids.  
  
**************************************************************************** ********************  
  
It was night now and the stars shown brightly against the night sky. The battle had ended and everyone was back at the base now. Miharu sat in the medical bay. She watched over Risai as she lied on the bed. The door was left open to the room so that the light in the hallway could light it up.  
  
"Hey Miharu," came a slightly quiet voice from the doorway. She turned her head and looked to the people standing there. She cracked a slight smile.  
  
"Hello," she said.  
  
"Any improvement?" asked Bit. Miharu sadly shook her head.  
  
"No, I'm afraid not." They didn't say anything. The three teams walked into the room. Some took chairs and others just stood. Risai was bandaged in many places. All the glass had been removed. She still hadn't woken up yet.  
  
"I can't believe it," said Bit. "This is all my fault."  
  
"No it's not," came the quiet voice of Risai. They all turned their attention to her. Her eyes slowly opened. She didn't even try to move anything, since she knew it would hurt. Her voice was very quiet. "Don't blame yourself."  
  
"But if I had listened to you, then this wouldn't have happened."  
  
"Don't say that. If you hadn't gone over to help Leena, then she could have died. To be honest, I owe you the apology."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You were right. What right do I have to give out advice when I can't even follow it myself? Perhaps emotions can save lives during battle."  
  
"Of course they can," said Leena. "Why wouldn't they? Emotions are what make us strong and what allow us to fight with everything we have."  
  
"I guess I forgot that," said Risai, her voice still quiet.  
  
"Maybe it's time you told us Risai," said Miharu. "Ever since the day Rainer died, you've acted differently."  
  
"I know. I guess you have a right to know. But first, a little history. Rainer was the second youngest of the agents. He was also the strongest of us. He piloted a blue Geno Breaker. He was, what one might call, a hero. He was supposedly the one who would win the war for us, but he died before the war was even half way through."  
  
"How did he die?" asked Leena.  
  
"It's a long story. I'll start at the beginning. We were in the middle of a battle with the enemy, a ground battle. It was going in our favor. The enemy began to retreat back to their base and all of us were called back as well, but...I saw a soldier escaping and decided to go after him. Rainer was with me at the time. We used to get sent out on missions together and we usually fought together as well, especially during ground battles. He tried to stop me from chasing after the soldier, but I was stubborn and didn't listen. I thought that I could capture him and then maybe we could learn something about our enemy. It wasn't uncommon to do. I kept chasing after him, but he suddenly disappeared. He had turned the other way and I kept running strait. I didn't know that there was another soldier hiding behind a rock, just waiting for someone to pass by. It was all a trick planned by those soldiers, but I didn't know that. The next thing I knew, a gunshot rang out from behind me, but I hadn't gotten hit with anything. When I turned around...I saw Rainer...standing in front of me." Her eyes began to fill with tears, but she managed a small smile.  
  
"He saved me, but he...he died. He died right there, in my arms. We left him at the battlefield, since he said it was where he wanted to be buried. The next day, I came back and found a silver cross where he had been. He died for me. Because I didn't follow regulation, he had to die. My emotions and my stubbornness caused his death. It was my fault...I killed him."  
  
"I'm so sorry," said Leena.  
  
"Don't be."  
  
"Did you love him?" asked Naomi. It was silent as they awaited her answer.  
  
"Yes. I did," she said.  
  
"Do you still?" asked Leena. The silence lasted for a while as Risai seemed to be thinking. She closed her eyes.  
  
"I...I still care about him, but...I don't love him," she answered. "I have to move on in my life. I can't dwell on the past."  
  
"I agree," said Miharu.  
  
"If you guys don't mind, I'd like to get some sleep. You can leave too Miharu. I'm fine now."  
  
"Alright." They all began to exit the room. Leon was the last out, but he was stopped.  
  
"Wait Leon." He turned around and walked back over.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"I wanted to thank you. I heard you and Miharu talking after you brought me here. I know that you helped me out. Looks like I owe you my life. This is the second time you've saved me." Leon just smiled.  
  
"Think nothing of it."  
  
"That, and I really do owe you an apology. You knew me better than I knew myself. Everything you said about me was true, about what I believed in. Sorry for all the times I yelled at you."  
  
"You're forgiven, but you know, you don't need to apologize."  
  
"Yeah, yeah."  
  
"Now get some sleep."  
  
"You got it. Bye."  
  
"Bye," said Leon. He walked out of the room and not long after, Risai fell asleep.  
  
******  
  
The Backdraft base was dark and quiet. Most of the soldiers were asleep. The cells were all empty, except for Taban's. He seemed to be thinking of something.  
  
"Even though my bracelet is broken, I'm still an agent. Maybe I can still..." He was interrupted by the sound of a door opening and the loud clacking of shoes against steel. Rose stopped at his cell and just smirked at him.  
  
"Well well, hello Taban," she said. He didn't bother to look at her.  
  
"What do you want?" he asked in a harsh tone.  
  
"I came to tell you about the battle that happened this afternoon. I think you'll find it interesting."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"If you don't want to hear it, then you won't know what happened to your sister." This caught his attention.  
  
"My sister? What happened?"  
  
"I thought you didn't care?"  
  
"Tell me!" he demanded.  
  
"It seems that she was injured, maybe even killed. The cockpit was smashed with her in it." Rose found this quite fascinating. Torturing people was what she loved the most, especially torturing them mentally.  
  
"You're lying," he said, although he knew she wasn't.  
  
"Believe what you want to. There's a good chance she's alive, since Miharu and some guy pulled her out of the cockpit. He had brown hair and piloted a red Blade Liger. I think he's from the Fluegel team."  
  
"Leon?" asked Taban. Rose just smirked.  
  
"Thank you Taban. That was what I needed to know. How nice of you to give his name away like that."  
  
"What are you planning to do?" asked Taban, the harsh tone in his voice returning.  
  
"Nothing much. I'm just going to get some revenge on your sister. She took someone important to me away, so now I'm going to pay her back." And with that, Rose walked off. Taban just sat there in his cell, wishing that he hadn't said anything.  
  
"Darn it. There's gotta be a way to warn them from here...I know. Maybe I can do what Miharu and I did with Leena a year ago...I hope it works." He got onto his bed and closed his eyes, drifting into a peaceful sleep.  
  
******  
  
Risai floated in the darkness again. She wasn't falling, but floating instead. The consuming feeling was gone and she was no longer afraid of this darkness.  
  
"Good," she said to herself. "There aren't any more voices here."  
  
"You sure about that?" asked a very familiar voice. Her eyes widened at the sound of that voice. She looked around, but found nothing.  
  
"T-Taban? Is...is it you?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"You're alive!" she exclaimed happily.  
  
"Yep, but I have something to tell you. Gee, I didn't think this would actually work though."  
  
"What did you want to tell me?"  
  
"I don't think I have a lot of time to talk, so I'm just gonna say one thing."  
  
"Yeah, and that would be?"  
  
"Leon is in danger."  
  
"What?"  
  
"That, and the leader of the Backdraft's forces is..." His voice was cut off. "Taban?" There was no answer. Risai knew she was alone again. "What did he mean? Leon is in danger?" She thought about it a little more. "Maybe my dreams are..." She quickly shook her head, trying to erase the thought.  
  
"No way. It's impossible. I don't...I don't think of him like that." She seemed convinced with her answer. She was still floating in the darkness. She closed her eyes and for once, she felt peaceful as she floated there. Only one thought occupied her mind, which brought a smile to her face.  
  
'My brother is alive.'  
  
**************************************************************************** ********************  
  
Well, that's all for now. If I live past Tuesday, I'll tell you. I have to do a performance assessment in Spanish. Remember to Review! Audi^.^ 


	15. Exertion

Well, I haven't really been updating much lately. There isn't much of a reason. I'm still alive though, as most of you probably already know. Anyways, I'm not sure just how this chapter will turn out, since I've been trying to think of what should happen. There are a few more cute scenes that I came up with, but the problem is putting them in.  
  
Disclaimer: See first chapter...I'm too lazy right now.  
  
**************************************************************************** ********************  
  
It was morning now and everyone was up and about. Risai was still in her room, sitting on her bed. The door to the room opened and Miharu walked in. Risai looked up and smiled.  
  
"Good morning Miharu," she said cheerfully, a huge smile on her face. Miharu seemed just a little freaked out by this sudden turn in her mood.  
  
"What's with you?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You seem...cheerful this morning."  
  
"So? Is that strange?"  
  
"To be honest, yes."  
  
"Well, I'm just happy because I know something. You'll be happy when I tell you too."  
  
"What is it?" Risai could sense that Miharu was curious. Risai just smiled and then stood up from her bed. Miharu's expression changed.  
  
"What do you think you're doing? You can't get up."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"You should know. Don't you remember? I seem to recall you getting injured yesterday."  
  
"I don't care."  
  
"Well I do. You need to get back in bed."  
  
"Taban is alive."  
  
"Don't you try to-what really? How do you know this?"  
  
"He talked to me last night."  
  
"Taban, he always manages to make it past the rules." Miharu just smiled, forgetting about the fact that Risai was up from her bed. 'Good, now she's distracted,' thought Risai to herself. She smiled. She finished getting dressed in her normal outfit and then proceeded to walk out the door.  
  
"You got that right Miharu. Taban has always been able to do stuff like that."  
  
"Yeah." Miharu then turned around, but Risai was already out the door and heading down the hall. She then remembered the argument before and began to go down the hall as well, but Risai had already turned the corner. Miharu needed to find her and decided to head towards the garage first.  
  
******  
  
The Blitz, Fluegel, and Fire Star teams were in the garage, working on their zoids. It wasn't an easy job.  
  
"This is taking forever," complained Bit.  
  
"Don't complain," commanded Leena.  
  
"I can if I want."  
  
"I'm your girlfriend and what I say goes."  
  
"I'd like to see you make me." Bit then was hit by a flying wrench. It knocked him over. "Ow..." he moaned.  
  
"That'll teach ya." They all continued working until they heard the sound of footsteps in the garage. All of them looked towards the entrance and watched Risai slowly walk in, holding her arm. All of them quickly jumped down from where they were and walked over.  
  
"Risai!" they exclaimed. She just looked towards all of them as they ran over to her.  
  
"Hi," she said, as if nothing was wrong.  
  
"What are you doing out of bed?" demanded Naomi.  
  
"I need to work on my Genosaurer."  
  
"You need to sleep," said Leena.  
  
"Yeah. We can take care of the Genosaurer for you," offered Rick.  
  
"Oh no you won't. Nobody touches my zoid but ME."  
  
"Look Risai, you really need to go back to bed," said Leon.  
  
"I don't care. There's too much I have to do. I'm not sitting around in bed."  
  
"Risai," started Bit, "We pulled out about 100 pieces of glass from you yesterday, the doctor said that if we had waited any longer you most likely would have died, and now you're walking around the day after."  
  
"Your point being?"  
  
"Are you insane?!"  
  
"I don't care. Now move, I have work to do," she said as she walked past them.  
  
"Can we really let her go through with this?" asked Meiyuu.  
  
"Just let her go," said Miharu as she walked through the door.  
  
"Are you serious?" asked Jamie.  
  
"Of course. She's really happy right now, and I, for one, don't want to break her spirit."  
  
"Why is she so happy?" asked Rick.  
  
"Because Taban is alive."  
  
"Really?" they all asked, excitement in their voices.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then I guess she has every right to be happy. We'll leave her alone, I guess," said Bit. They all looked towards the Genosaurer. Risai had already gotten on one of the platforms and was now up by its head. She had a few tools in her hands and then began to work on it. They all decided to get back to work on their own zoids.  
  
******  
  
It was 6 hours later and Risai had finally finished working on her zoid. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and then set down her wrench. She was also breathing kind of hard. Her whole body was aching.  
  
"Finally...done..." she panted. She smiled weakly at her now perfect Genosaurer. It was just the way it had been before the battle. "Maybe...they were...right. Perhaps...I shouldn't have...exerted myself." After admitting that to herself, she collapsed on the platform, knocking off most of the tools, sending them clattering to the ground below. Everyone else was in the garage as well and heard the loud clang of the tools against the hard, metal floor. This startled all of them. Some nearly fell off of the platforms they were on.  
  
"What was that?" asked Bit.  
  
"It looks like those tools fell," said Rick.  
  
"No duh," said Meiyuu. Leena jumped off from the platform she was on and walked over to the tools. She then looked up at the platform above and the now repaired Genosaurer. She began to climb up the ladder on the side and reached the platform. She found Risai, asleep.  
  
"Hey Risai, wake up," she said, but there was no answer, not even a slight sign that she had heard her. "Wake up." She shook her this time, but the response was the same.  
  
"Is she alright?" asked Naomi.  
  
"I'm not sure. She won't wake up."  
  
"Just let her rest," said Miharu, coming back into the garage. They all looked to her. "She's been working all day with that torn up body of hers. She probably over did it. You should just let her rest here. She'll be alright."  
  
"Okay," said Leena as she made her way down from the platform. She was still unsure.  
  
"If you guys are hungry, they're serving a late lunch in the dining area."  
  
"Sounds good," said Bit. He jumped down and began to follow Miharu to the dining room. The others followed suit, leaving Risai there.  
  
******  
  
Risai floated in the darkness again, only this time she was happy. Everything seemed perfect, but her comfort was then disrupted by a single thought. 'Leon is in danger'. It was the only message Taban had left with her.  
  
"What did you mean?" she asked, hoping that by some chance he was there. There wasn't an answer to her question. She thought about it a little more.  
  
"It...it can't mean...no...I'm an agent. It can't happen to me...can it? And even if it does...or did...I'm not allowed to think that way...to...feel...that way." She shook her head. "It won't happen, it can't. Not to me."  
  
'Just admit it,' said a voice in the back of her mind.  
  
"No. Agents aren't allowed to think that way. Our duty comes first...but still...I'm afraid...of these dreams and...what they might mean."  
  
'Are you scared to know the truth?'  
  
"What truth?"  
  
'About how you feel.'  
  
"I don't feel anything."  
  
'That's not true.'  
  
"Just shut up."  
  
"Who are you talking to?" asked a familiar voice. Risai spun around and came face to face with Leon. He just smiled to her.  
  
"N-no one," she answered.  
  
"Okay." There was an uneasy silence. 'Why am I so nervous?' She thought a little more. 'My dreams...maybe this is one of them.'  
  
"What are you doing here?" asked Risai.  
  
"I came to see you."  
  
"Me?"  
  
"Of course. Who else would be here?"  
  
"Good point."  
  
"Why is it so dark here?"  
  
"I don't know." Just then, there was a light forming behind Leon. He didn't seem to notice it, but Risai did. In place of the light appeared a silver and purple zoid. It looked like a dragon. The armor was silver and the wings were purple, along with the eyes. The zoid approached them.  
  
"Leon! Behind you!" shouted Risai. He dropped his smile, a confused look replacing it. He turned around to face the zoid. Just then, both of them disappeared. The dark scene was replaced with a desert; a few rock formations were also in the area.  
  
"Not again," said Risai. She then heard what sounded like two zoids fighting. She turned around and saw the strange dragon zoid and Leon's red Blade Liger. They were going at it, fighting with everything they had.  
  
"Why are they fighting?" she asked herself out of pure curiosity. She looked around the area and then saw what looked like another zoid. When she got closer, she realized whose zoid it was.  
  
"Hey...that's my zoid. What's going on?" She ran towards the area and towards her own zoid. It didn't appear to be that damaged. She began climbing up the zoid, towards the cockpit. When she got there, she opened it manually from the outside. Her eyes went wide when she looked into it. The person at the controls was her.  
  
"H-how?" she asked herself. "There's two of me." She reached out to touch this other Risai, but her hand went right through. "What is going on?" She then looked back to the two zoids. The red Blade Liger was down and the dragon zoid began approaching her downed Genosaurer.  
  
"It's time for you to die," said the pilot through the com-link. Risai was standing close enough to hear the message. The pilot sounded female. It was coming closer. Risai looked towards herself in the cockpit.  
  
"Come on! You need to wake up," she coaxed, but she was guessing that her voice would go unheard, just like the fact that she couldn't touch anybody. It was as if she wasn't there. As if she was only watching. The zoid was very close now, but the red Blade Liger jumped up and knocked the zoid over.  
  
"I won't let you kill her. Not as long as I'm here," said Leon. Risai was listening over the com-link. She was speechless.  
  
"He really does care about me," she said to herself. She then quickly shook her head, dismissing the thought. Leon's zoid was thrown aside again and the dragon began to target its guns at the cockpit of the Genosaurer, aiming right for Risai.  
  
"Darn it. I just had to open the cockpit...but...I guess it doesn't make that much of a difference anyway. It would pierce it either way. Darn it! Wake up!" she yelled to the Risai in the cockpit. "Don't you realize you're going to die?!" The dragon zoid was ready to fire. "Darn it!" yelled Risai. The gun fired, but something happened. The Blade Liger moved in front of the Genosaurer. The bullet hit it and the sound of glass shattering could be heard. The small pieces flew out, catching the rays of the sun. Risai just stared on at what had just happened.  
  
"I-impossible...it can't be...I'm not allowed to...to..." She lowered her head, tears burning her eyes.  
  
"...Leon...I'm sorry."  
  
******  
  
People wandered through the base, not knowing what to do. The three teams and Miharu were eating in the dining area.  
  
"This food is always so good," said Bit, stuffing his mouth with a sandwich.  
  
"I agree with that," said Leena. Just then, a huge explosion shook them all, knocking over a lot of the tables in the room. The teams also fell over, or some did anyways. There were many moans from the group.  
  
"What's going on?" asked Brad.  
  
"I don't know," said Naomi.  
  
"Come on," said Miharu. They all got up and began running. Another explosion shook the building. They all staggered but regained their composure. They all ran to the nearest window. There were enemy zoids approaching.  
  
"Not again," said Rick.  
  
"How many armies do they have? They've practically been attacking us every day," said Leena. Another explosion shook the base.  
  
"Darn it. This isn't good," said Miharu.  
  
"We have to get out of here," said Meiyuu.  
  
"I know."  
  
"Uh oh," said Jamie.  
  
"What?"  
  
"We left Risai in the garage. She's still on that platform, remember?" They all seemed panicked.  
  
"Darn it. If she collapsed, then there's no way she would wake up, not even from this. With all these explosions shaking the base...let's go," said Miharu. "We have to go and get to the garage." They all began running again, heading towards the garage.  
  
Meanwhile, Risai was still on the platform. The explosions were shaking the base. The platform, which hung from the ceiling by four chains, was also shaking. Risai could feel all the motion around her, but she wasn't able to wake up. 'I have to get up,' she thought to herself. She tried to force herself to get up, but it wasn't working. She could feel her body shift as the explosions continued. 'Wake up!' screamed her mind. She slowly opened her eyes just as another explosion hit. The explosion caused pieces of the ceiling to fall. One of the chains broke that held the platform, tipping it to a vertical position. Risai fell from it, but quickly grabbed the side of the platform, holding on for all she had. Her arm began to hurt as she strained her muscles, trying to hold on. The pain began to shoot through her whole body. She looked down and knew but one thing. She didn't want to know what it would feel like if she fell.  
  
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That chapter was really REALLY long. Cool! That was fun. Sorry this took so long to get out. I've been having trouble lately. Anyways, don't know when it'll be when I update again. Good luck with school! Oh, and I was thinking. This has to do with this series, you know, my Premonition series. It's gonna most likely be long. I was gonna write a side story as well, but I was wondering if I should or not. I won't if no one will read it, but I really want to. I need input! Audi^.^ 


	16. Rescue

Okay, I'm writing the next chapter already. I decided to write some stuff. Oh, and I put up my side story. It's called "Broken Flame". I hope you guys will read it. Thanks for supporting me. Please read it! It's only the first chapter and it's kinda short, so please, it won't take up that much of your time to just read it. Anyways, on with this chapter.  
  
And thanks to those who asked about the Spanish thing I had. How did it go? Well...I didn't fail. Let's just say that.  
  
Disclaimer: See first chapter.  
  
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Risai was still hanging onto the edge of the now vertical platform, held up by three of its four chains. She attempted to lift her other arm up in hopes of having a better grip, but the pain shooting through her body made her decline. She could barely stand the pain from the muscles pulling in her arm that she was hanging from.  
  
"This can't get much worse," she said to herself. Another explosion rocked the building, causing another chain to break. The platform jerked and then swayed slightly. Only two chains were left.  
  
"Just great," she said.  
  
"Risai!" yelled Miharu. Risai looked down towards the entrance and saw all of them standing there, staring up at her.  
  
"Help me!" yelled Risai.  
  
"We'll try!" shouted Miharu. All of them tried to think of something. The platform was high above them and there weren't any ladders to climb up. The other platforms were all pretty far away as well. Risai's Genosaurer was the closest thing right now, but there wasn't any way of using it to help her. They all looked around the garage. Bit was the first to see a lift in the far right corner.  
  
"There!" he exclaimed, pointing to what he saw.  
  
"A lift!" exclaimed Leena.  
  
"Do you think we could use that?" asked Bit to Miharu.  
  
"Right now, I'm willing to try anything. Come on!" They all followed Miharu over to the lift. (A/N you know, it's like a forklift, only the lift part goes really high. I hope that made sense.)  
  
"It looks like it'll work," said Rick.  
  
"Now the problem is getting it close enough to reach her," said Mattei.  
  
"We're going to need one person to drive it and another will have to stand on this part. They'll be raised in the air. It's a risky shot, since I doubt we can get it close enough, but it's worth a try," said Miharu. "I'll drive. Jamie, I want you to help me operate the arm."  
  
"Okay," said Jamie.  
  
"Now we need somebody to go up there."  
  
"I'll go," said Leon. They all looked to him. He seemed pretty determined.  
  
"Alright," said Miharu. "Let's go." The three of them got ready to put their plan into action. The others all stood off to the side and watched. Miharu drove the lift carefully over towards the broken platform. She stopped the lift when she was in reach. "This is a close as I can get," she said. "Alright Leon, it's your turn." Leon got onto the lift, which wasn't very safe at all, considering there wasn't much room on it.  
  
"Okay, I'm ready," he said. 'I can't believe I'm doing this,' he thought to himself. 'What if I fall?' The lift was rising, slowly, but it was rising. It soon couldn't rise anymore.  
  
"That's all the further it'll go," said Jamie. It wasn't quite close enough. Miharu stuck her head out the window and looked up.  
  
"Darn it. We have to get in closer," she said. "Leon! I'm gonna get in closer. Don't fall off!"  
  
"Easier said than done," said Leon to himself. The machine started moving, coming closer to the platform and Risai. She was having trouble holding on. She looked around at them and the lift. It was high enough and now it was coming closer. Leon was standing up, doing his best to keep his balance.  
  
"What are you doing?" asked Risai, worry and fear evident in her voice.  
  
"What does it look like I'm doing?" said Leon. The machine then jerked a little, causing Leon to nearly fall off, but he was able to regain his composure.  
  
"Just forget it! It'd be pointless if both of us fell."  
  
"I'm not leaving you here like this. If you fall, there's a good chance you'll die."  
  
"I know that, but I..."  
  
"You what?"  
  
"Never mind."  
  
"When you start something you should finish it."  
  
"..."  
  
"Come on."  
  
"...I just don't wanna see you get hurt too, okay?" she said angrily, her face turning slightly red from both anger and embarrassment.  
  
"Neither of us will fall. Now come on." He got down on his knees and extended his hand to her. "Grab on."  
  
"I can't."  
  
"You have to." Risai attempted to reach out and grab his hand but her other arm began to hurt, threatening to loose the grip she held on the platform. She grabbed her shoulder, hoping that the pain would go away if she pressed down on it.  
  
"I can't do it. It hurts too much," said Risai, her eyes tightly shut, half from fear and half from pain. Another explosion was heard. The building shook. The platform began to sway and another chain broke, dropping the platform even further down than before. There was still a chance.  
  
"You have to grab my hand now!" shouted Leon.  
  
"I can't...I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be sorry, just grab my hand." The chain holding the platform up was starting to break, the links began to pull apart.  
  
"I'll...try," said Risai. She reached out again, ignoring the pain that was coursing through her body. She was almost there. But just then, the chain snapped, sending the platform towards the ground, along with Risai. Leon quickly took hold of the lift and threw himself off of it, still holding on with one hand. With the other, he caught Risai by the wrist. The platform was sent downward, smashing into the hard, metal floor, causing a loud crashing sound of metal against metal. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, happy that both of them were all right. The lift was then lowered, bringing both of them safely to the ground. Miharu and Jamie got out of the machine and everyone else ran over as well.  
  
"Don't you guys ever let me fall asleep in here again," said Risai. She stood up and then held her arm, which was still hurting.  
  
"Okay, now we have to go and fight this battle," said Miharu.  
  
"Right. Let's go," said Risai. They all looked to her.  
  
"You can't be serious," said Jamie.  
  
"I am. I'm going with," she said.  
  
"You can't," said Miharu, her voice stern. "You need to stay here. We'll handle this."  
  
"No you won't! Now you listen here. On the battlefield, I am a commander. I have a sworn duty to lead my troops into battle. During battle, you are not my superior; you are my equal. You have no control over my actions during a battle. I am a commander; I make my own decisions," said Risai, her expression the same as Miharu's. It was silent now.  
  
"As you wish," said Miharu. Risai nodded and ran off to get into her Genosaurer.  
  
"You're really going to let her go like that?" asked Brad.  
  
"Yes. She's right. During a battle, I have no control over her. She is a commander, as am I. She's free to do what she wants in battle."  
  
"But..." started Bit.  
  
"Just forget it. Come on. We have a battle to fight." They all ran off and got into their own zoids, joining the forces that were already battling it out. When they got outside they were all shocked at what they found. A lot of the ZBC zoids were down, more than that of the Backdraft. The soldiers were helping eachother out of the cockpits and to the medical vicinity.  
  
"This is terrible," said Leena.  
  
"I know," said Bit.  
  
"We've never been beaten this badly. I wonder what's going on," said Miharu. "The Backdraft's forces aren't usually so powerful."  
  
"We need to find the source of this. It looks like the battle has been moved further into the desert and away from the base," observed Jamie.  
  
"Alright, we'll spread out and see if we find someone who looks like a general. If we take out the leader, then the other forces will retreat."  
  
"You sure about that?" asked Bit.  
  
"Of course I am," said Miharu. "Now let's split up. I'm going this way." They all ran off in their own directions, looking for a commanding zoid. It wasn't easy. Everywhere they went, there were more downed ZBC zoids and pilots. Some were fortunate to make it out alive and others...weren't. Risai was scouting the area, but her mind was somewhere else.  
  
"I wonder if that zoid is out here, that dragon zoid," she said to herself. "I hope it's not." As fate would have it, her hopes were wrong. Appearing in front of her was the silver and purple dragon zoid. It stood tall on its back legs. It roared as it laid its eyes on the Genosaurer.  
  
"It looks like I've finally found you," said the female pilot.  
  
"What do you want from me!" demanded Risai.  
  
"Nothing much. I came to destroy you, no one else," responded the pilot.  
  
'No one else?' thought Risai. 'Then why does she kill Leon?...Oh yeah...he was protecting me...so if I die before he shows up, then he won't die...but I promised him...oh, this is so confusing!' Risai decided to stop thinking and just attack.  
  
"You want me, then come and get me!" she yelled.  
  
"As you wish." The dragon lunged at the charging Genosaurer. It then stopped and swung its long tail at the zoid, knocking it away. It then unloaded a few rounds of ammo. The Genosaurer put up its shield. (A/N do NOT tell me that they don't have any. If you remember from Premonition, her Genosaurer was equipped with a shield, even though the ones in the show don't have them.) Once the firing stopped, they charged again. The dragon opened its wings and took off at the last minute. Risai pulled her controls, bringing the Genosaurer to a halt.  
  
"Where is she?" asked Risai to herself, forgetting the com-link was still on.  
  
"Right here," said the dragon zoid pilot. It came down hard on the Genosaurer, and then knocked it away, into a rock formation, with its tail. Risai was jostled around in the cockpit and eventually hit her head against the side of the cockpit, knocking her out. Her whole world went black, but she knew exactly what would come next.  
  
******  
  
Everything was once again black. Risai was floating in her dream world atmosphere.  
  
"This can't be good," she said to herself.  
  
"You've got that right," came Taban's voice, causing her to spin around. She looked for him, but found nothing.  
  
"Taban?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"But...if you're talking to me, then...oh no...I must have been knocked out. This is not good."  
  
"You're telling me."  
  
"I gotta wake up now! Leon is going to get killed!"  
  
"How do you know this?"  
  
"I just do."  
  
"Well, there's something I have to tell you. The girl in the dragon like zoid, the leader of the Backdraft group, she's someone you know quite well, one of us. Risai, it's Rose. She's alive."  
  
"But that's impossible. She was claimed to have been dead. She disappeared."  
  
"So did Toran, and you know what happened with him."  
  
"What does she want with me? Why did she join the Backdraft?"  
  
"She only mentioned wanting to get revenge on you. She said something about taking away someone she cared about, and now she's going to get even. She was watching you on the day you got injured."  
  
"So that's why...that's why she kills Leon."  
  
"What?" asked Taban. Risai was speaking quietly.  
  
"Nothing," she responded.  
  
"Well, you should get going. You've got a life to save."  
  
"Right."  
  
"Oh, and Risai?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You knew Leon was in danger...because you had a dream, didn't you?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"It's happening to you, isn't it?"  
  
"N-no. It can't; you know that. It's against regulations."  
  
"Risai. I have a word of advice for you. You know me; I always gotta say something like this. Never forget your feelings. Emotions make us strong during a battle. They make us reckless, but they give us the strength we need to win. Somewhere along the line, you forgot that, but I think you'll be fine now."  
  
"What do you mean by 'you'll be fine now'?"  
  
"It seems like you've found something to fight for, or should I say someone?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Bye!"  
  
"Wait! Taban!" There was no answer this time. "Darn him. Well, I gotta get back, but how? There has to be a way!"  
  
Suddenly, the black atmosphere went white and a bright light blinded her.  
  
"Wake up!" came Taban's voice.  
  
******  
  
Risai sat up in her cockpit, wide-awake, and in pain. She saw the red Blade Liger being thrown aside. She turned off the link with Rose.  
  
"Alright, I'm back, and just in time too," she said.  
  
"Is that you?" asked Leon.  
  
"In person," responded Risai.  
  
"I'm glad you're alright."  
  
"Thanks for helping me. Now it's my turn. You stay there for now." The dragon aimed its guns at the Genosaurer, but Risai beat her to the punch and shot off her own guns, hitting the dragon zoid. Rose was furious. Risai opened up the com-link with her again, just to hear how agitated she was.  
  
"Darn you! Why don't you just die?!"  
  
"Cause I have too much left to do. Now it's my turn, Rose!"  
  
"How'd you know?!"  
  
"Like I'm telling you. I'm finishing this once and for all!" She began readying the charged particle cannon.  
  
"Do you really think I'll let you finish charging that?"  
  
"No," smirked Risai.  
  
"Confident, aren't we?" The dragon was about to move when it was attacked from the side by the Blade Liger. Leon was holding her still.  
  
"Darn you! I'll kill you both!"  
  
"I don't think so," said Leon. The cannon stopped charging.  
  
"Move Leon!"  
  
"Alright." The beam fired and the Blade Liger jumped away. The beam collided with the dragon zoid.  
  
"Yes!" cheered Risai, but there wasn't much to cheer about. The beam faded, but the dragon was still there, energy shield and all.  
  
"Darn. I forgot. All of our zoids were equipped with one of those."  
  
"That's right," said Rose, a smirk on her face. She scanned the area for any of her units, finding almost nothing. "Darn it! How could my troops have been taken out like that? We were winning!"  
  
"I guess a few zoids really can make all the difference, huh?" said Risai, her cocky tone returning.  
  
"I guess I'll have to take my leave. It's been fun, but you won't get off so easy next time. All remaining units, fall back!" she commanded over a separate com-link.  
  
"Yes ma'am," came the response from her remaining men. They all ran away from the battlefield, heading back to their base. Risai fell back against her chair.  
  
"I'm glad that's over," she said to herself. "Now I think I'll take a nap." She closed her eyes and fell asleep inside her zoid. The others all came over, relieved that the forces had withdrawn from the battle.  
  
"Well that was fun," said Bit sarcastically."  
  
"Yeah," said Rick, the same tone in his voice.  
  
"You two okay?" asked Leena to Leon and Risai, who wasn't listening.  
  
"I'm fine," responded Leon.  
  
"What about Risai?"  
  
"She's fine. I think she's sleeping."  
  
"Just let her rest. She's not in any real danger right now," said Miharu.  
  
"We can't just leave her here in the middle of the desert," said Jamie.  
  
"Oh yes we can."  
  
"What if there's another attack?" asked Naomi.  
  
"I doubt it. We just finished a battle."  
  
"But still, we should take her back to the base," said Leena.  
  
"Yeah, I guess we should." They had a Gustav come out and tow the Genosaurer back to the base. They didn't even bother taking Risai out. She was safe in the base. She was actually having a peaceful sleep for once, not a nightmare in sight.  
  
'Maybe it was.just a dream,' she thought to herself as she fell deeper into her sleep.  
  
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Well now, that was fun! Review! That's about all I have to say right now. Reviewing doesn't take long; you just click the button and review. And don't forget to check out my side story! It's called Broken Flame, remember? Audi^.^ 


	17. A Day at the Pool and Information

Hi! It's me again! I know I haven't written for a while. That, and I've been discouraged lately. But that's none of your concern. Anyways, I updated my side story! So happy^.^ Well, it's not all that happy, but that's not the point. Oh, and I have some slightly good news. Zoids: New Century Zero will be played at 3:00 pm toonami time. That's 2:00 central. Don't know what it'll be for all you guys. That, and sometime during December, the line up for everything is gonna change and some stuff'll be put back on. That, and NCZ will be on at 4:00pm toonami time in December as well. Don't know when, but it will eventually.  
  
Well, on with the chapter. I also have something to ask. Do you guys think I should start the prequel and write these simultaneously? I could do it, but I wanna know what you guys think I should do.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Zoids, but I do own the characters I create.  
  
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It had been a week since the last battle and everyone was beginning to relax. The injured soldiers were healed, including Risai. Everyone spent their days enjoying themselves. The people from the town were sent away from the base to a different town where they would stay. The base was considered unsafe for civilians. It was a great day so far as the bright sun shined in the sky. It was also a hot day. Inside the base, the three teams, along with Risai and Miharu, had found a way to stay cool in the hot atmosphere. They were all going to go swimming. Bit was the first one to make it into the area where the pool is and Leena wasn't that far behind.  
  
"This'll be great!" exclaimed Bit happily. He then jumped into the pool.  
  
"Wait for me!" said Leena with the same happiness in her voice. She jumped in as well. They wore their normal swimming outfits. (A/N um...yeah...just think back the ep where they are on the beach. I don't wanna do too much describing of swim suites. A few, but not too many.) The next two in were Brad and Naomi. Naomi was wearing a swimsuit similar to Leena's, only it was red. Jamie followed, carrying a bunch of things in his arms. Some included food, games, etc. He walked over to a table in the area and set everything down. (A/N kind of like at a hotel...okay, I'll shut up now.)  
  
"Just like a day at the beach," said Rick as he walked in, along with Meiyuu and Mattei.  
  
"Except there's no sand here," said Mattei.  
  
"But still, it is like a day at the beach." Rick was wearing blue shorts and Mattei was wearing black ones. Meiyuu's swimsuit was similar to Leena's and Naomi's. Hers was a green color. They all proceeded into the pool. Miharu walked in with Risai not far behind. Miharu had on a black and silver suit, the same fashion as the other girls' suits. (A/N also known as bikinis...shutting up.) Same for Risai, but hers was a cerulean blue. She wore a towel around her neck. Miharu looked to her and smiled.  
  
"You see Risai? This is how normal people swim," she teased.  
  
"Ha ha, very funny," said Risai sarcastically. "I just never have time when I feel like swimming, so I just swim in my clothes. It's common sense."  
  
"I'm sure it is. Now come on." Miharu started walking, but Risai stayed close to the entryway. Miharu stopped and looked at her. "What's wrong? Let's go."  
  
"I don't know if I want to swim today."  
  
"You're the one who hinted at the idea of swimming."  
  
"I did not."  
  
"Oh yeah? Who was it who kept saying 'the beach would be a nice place to be right now. Water would feel great', and a lot of things like that."  
  
"Okay, okay, I get the point. I wanted to go swimming."  
  
"That's right, now come on." Risai still didn't move. "What is wrong?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Then come on. Are you embarrassed or something?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Yes you are. You're embarrassed. Why, I don't know, but it's easy to tell. Your face is red."  
  
"It is not!" she yelled, even though it was.  
  
"Now come on. Let's swim." She walked off towards the pool, leaving Risai standing there.  
  
"Hi Risai," said Leon from behind her. "I thought you'd be the first one in, you know, since you like to swim so much." He walked past her and stopped when he realized she wasn't moving from where she was. He just smiled, not saying anything. Risai just stared at him, the blush on her face deepening. Her heartbeat seemed to speed up. She was really nervous and she wasn't sure quite why.  
  
'He's not wearing a shirt,' she thought to herself. 'He's so cute.' She then shook her head, trying to get rid of the thought. 'No! I don't think of him like that. He's my friend, nothing more, nothing less. Right? Right.'  
  
"You coming?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah." She set her towel down and then jumped into the pool. After a while, they all decided to play a few games. They set up a net and played volleyball for a while. A little while later, no one felt like playing. They all did their own things, some racing one another, others dunking one another. Risai got out and went over to get a drink from the table.  
  
"You shouldn't run on a wet floor," said Leon as he watched her.  
  
"I won't slip," said Risai confidently. She finished her drink and ran back over to the pool, but as fate would have it, her cockiness got the better of her and she slipped on the side, lost her balance and was now falling into the pool. Luckily, Leon caught her before she was able to fall face first into the water. She more or less fell on top of him, but he was able to stay standing. Her arms were around his neck and his were around her waist. He set her down so that her feet touched the bottom of the pool. (A/N sorry if that was confusing...I tried.) They were still in the same position. They then realized it and let go of each other.  
  
"Thanks," said Risai.  
  
"No problem." The day went on and they stopped to eat lunch, and then played a few more games. Night came all too fast. They all got out and decided to take showers. Once done, they all went to Bit's room to sit around and talk.  
  
"Aren't you two coming?" asked Leena as she watched Risai and Miharu walk past the room.  
  
"No. We have some work to do," answered Miharu.  
  
"Alright," said Leena. She closed the door behind her. They were all sitting either on the bed, the floor, and some were even in chairs. Leon was sitting in a chair, and so were Jamie, Brad, and Naomi. Bit and Leena were sitting on Bit's bed, and the others sat on the ground.  
  
"I wonder what kind of work they have to do. Their zoids are in top condition," said Leena.  
  
"They're both commanders. They probably have some kind of paper work or something," said Bit.  
  
"You know, I've been thinking about something," said Jamie, causing them to all turn their attention to him. "We don't really know much about them, or about agents for that matter. They've only told us a few things, like the fact that they don't age past 21. Other than that, we don't know much."  
  
"I'd like to know more too," said Leon. "For warriors, they're both so...how do I put this...I guess the only word I can think of is soft. You'd normally think that people who have been fighting as long as they have would be hard and icy, but both of them are so carefree and kind. It's just kind of strange. Not only that, but they don't have any scars. No bullet wounds, scratches, not anything resembling a wound. They look as if they've never been in a battle."  
  
"I know what you mean," said Rick.  
  
"Another thing is that they seem to be able to push their bodies to their limits," said Leena. "Even when they know they could die, they just keep fighting, no matter how badly they're hurt. They just keep pushing themselves, as if they don't care whether they die today or a year from now. It's almost as if they're programmed to never give in."  
  
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I wanna find out more about them," said Jamie.  
  
"How do you suppose we do that?" asked Brad.  
  
"Well, we could go and check on the ZBC's computer files. They probably have a lot of information there."  
  
"Isn't that illegal?" asked Naomi.  
  
"Well, technically...yes, but we can do it after everyone is asleep. No one'll ever know and it's not like we're hurting anyone by doing this."  
  
"Why don't we just ask them?" asked Leon.  
  
"I doubt they'll tell us much of anything," said Leena. "We've tried before and we don't get much out of them."  
  
"Well, you guys can go, but I think I'll stay," said Leon.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I just don't think it's right."  
  
"That's alright. You don't have to come if you don't want to," assured Leena.  
  
"Alright now, let's come up with a plan to get into the lab area." They all began to discuss a plan.  
  
******  
  
Miharu and Risai walked into an office and closed the door.  
  
"You wanted to talk about something?" asked Miharu.  
  
"..."  
  
"You've been acting strange lately, more so than usual. What's wrong?"  
  
"I want to tell you, but I'm afraid.afraid of what it may mean if it's true."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I've...been having these dreams."  
  
"Continue," said Miharu, a little scared as to where this was heading.  
  
"Dreams about Leon...dying." Miharu froze. It was happening again.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"It's only happened a few times, but I'm sure. Taban told me as well. He told me Leon was in danger. I don't know what to do."  
  
"And you're asking me?"  
  
"I was hoping you could tell me more about this."  
  
"Do you know what this means? A person can only have dreams like that if they...if they..." She just looked at Risai, who was now staring at the ground. "You really like him, don't you."  
  
"N-no. He's just my friend."  
  
"Well, I guess that's possible. There isn't a rule saying that the people can't be just friends, but still...it's highly unlikely."  
  
"I don't care, I just want it to stop."  
  
"Well, I'm afraid that if these dreams really are what I think they are, then they won't stop."  
  
"Never?"  
  
"No, not never. They'll only stop if the threat causing them is destroyed or, well...if Leon dies."  
  
"That's not an option."  
  
"Good luck Risai. I'm afraid I can't help you with this."  
  
"Yeah, thanks. I'm going to bed." She left the room and walked down the hall. Miharu just stood there and shook her head.  
  
"This is serious. I gotta do something, but what?" She decided to sleep on it and exited the room. She then proceeded to her room and went to sleep.  
  
******  
  
It was midnight and everyone was supposedly asleep. In the dark hallways of the base, 8 people were walking as quietly as they could towards the lab area.  
  
"This is dangerous. What if we get caught?" whispered Leena.  
  
"We won't, as long as everyone stays quiet," said Jamie. They made their way to the door of the lab and punched in the code to open the door. It quietly slid open and they all walked in, sealing it so that no one would be able to get in unless they opened the door from the inside. Jamie sat down at the main computer in the room and everyone else stood around him.  
  
"Okay, so now what?" asked Bit.  
  
"Now we do this," said Jamie. He began to bring up files from around 200 years ago on the beginning of the ZBC. He then found out about the war and then found exactly what he was looking for.  
  
"Alright, I found it!" he exclaimed happily.  
  
"I can't see," complained Naomi.  
  
"Then I'll just read this stuff to you. First off, let's start at the beginning. The Zoid Battle Commission went to war with the Dark Blazers, later known as the Backdraft Group, for control over zoid battles along with Zi. The Zoid Battle Commission didn't have enough forces to take on the full army of the DB. The war would last well over the life spans of the pilots fighting it. This proved to be a problem. In order to keep their best warriors in the battle, they created, what we now call 'agents'."  
  
"That's nice, but I wanna know how they turned them into agents," said Leena. "I'd like to see what it was they did to them."  
  
"Alright. It's right here," said Jamie. He pulled up another screen. This page had pictures on it. The machine looked almost like the electric chair.  
  
"What's it say?" asked Brad.  
  
"I'm getting there," said Jamie. "This machine was used to allow people to become 'agents'. It was created by scientists in order to increase a pilot's abilities. The scientists died before the machine could be completed, but the son of one of the scientists was able to pick up on the project again. His name was Rainer Toru. He was a skilled warrior and scientist and was also one of the people who it would be used on."  
  
"How does it work?" asked Naomi.  
  
"The helmet alters the brain waves and the electric pulses emitted into the body are able to allow the cells in the body to continue to reproduce at the rate and amount of that of a 21 year old."  
  
"Which explains why they don't age past 21," added Bit.  
  
"Exactly," said Jamie. "Hundreds of people decided to under go the experiment, but there were only 6 successful results. All of the agents had increased abilities, including things as reaction time, communication, telepathy, and the ability to sense disturbances, such as what was called those who were 'doomed to die'."  
  
"If only 6 or them made it, then what happened to the other people?" asked Leena. Jamie scrolled down the page and found out.  
  
"Oh man," he said after skimming it.  
  
"What?" they all asked.  
  
"Here, I'll read it. It has been shown that only people from 16-20 can successfully take on the experiment. The youngest agent was 15, but they nearly didn't survive the experiment. Only one 21 year old made it through alive."  
  
"What happened to the other people?" asked Meiyuu.  
  
"Yeah. It said that hundreds took on the experiment," said Leena.  
  
"Hold on...here it is. There turned out to be many risks of performing the experiment. People below the age of 16 often contracted incurable diseases, even with the modern day medicine. Some ended up in comas. The ones who were over 20 often ended up in comas or sometimes they ended up...dead."  
  
"How sad," said Bit.  
  
"Yes, that is sad, isn't it." They all turned around to find Miharu standing in the doorway to the lab. They all just stared, scared of what was about to happen to them.  
  
"H-how did you get in?" asked Jamie. Miharu held up a card.  
  
"I'm a commander. I can open any room in the building with this."  
  
"We're in trouble," said Rick.  
  
"Do you guys know what the consequences are for what you have just done? If you were spies, you'd be sentenced to death. It's a good thing you guys are on our side. I guess I can let you off easy."  
  
"Sorry. We just wanted to know a little more, that's all," explained Jamie.  
  
"Why didn't you just ask? I would have told you."  
  
"We're sorry," they all said.  
  
"Well, anyways, it's late and all of you should get to bed."  
  
"Alright," they all sighed as they exited the lab and went back to their rooms.  
  
******  
  
Leon had the door to his room open and the light on. He was lying on his bed, still awake, thinking.  
  
"Hi."  
  
He looked to the doorway and found Risai standing there.  
  
"Hello," said Leon.  
  
"Miharu caught everyone else in the lab area. Why weren't you with them?"  
  
"I don't know. It just didn't feel right going through files on the Zoid Battle Commission, but it was tempting though."  
  
"Why was it tempting?"  
  
"Because I wanna know more about you guys, you know, more about agents."  
  
"Well, what do you wanna know?"  
  
"Did it hurt?"  
  
"No, but the aftermath did."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well...15 year olds weren't able to undergo the process quite as well. I was the only one who survived, but it was hard. I got sick. 21 year olds weren't able to either. Toran was the only one who survived at that age. Rainer was 19, Rose was 18, and Taban and Miharu were both 20. I was the only one out of us who got sick afterwards. I made it though."  
  
"Oh. What made you want to become an agent?"  
  
"I wanted to help the ZBC and my brother was doing it, so I wanted to as well, even though he told me not to."  
  
"Why do you push yourself?"  
  
"Because I have to. I have to try my hardest, even when I'm injured. I have to carry out my orders. It's the rules."  
  
"So there are rules?"  
  
"Of course there are rules."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Sorry, but that's classified information."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Maybe because I can't remember some of them."  
  
"Oh." He laughed slightly. "Well, thanks. I don't have any more questions."  
  
"Alright then. Goodnight."  
  
"Goodnight," said Leon. Risai left the doorway and went back to her own room. She sat down at her desk and then opened the dresser. Inside were a ton of small notebooks.  
  
"I sure have a lot of journals," she said to herself. She dug through a few and then found one from years ago. "This is what I wanted. I remember writing down all those stupid rules and regulations in this." She then sighed. "Sorry I lied to you Leon, but I don't want you to know some of this stuff. We had to make a lot of sacrifices." She pushed the book aside and then opened her most recent journal. She read aloud what she had most recently wrote in it. The entry was a few weeks old.  
  
"I had another dream, and this one was worse than the last. I'm worried. What if it actually happens? I don't see how it can, since there aren't any barren places like that. I don't know why I'm so upset about all of this. I don't know why I care either. Actually, I do, but it's hard to explain. I don't know what it is about Leon, but, well, he's always so nice to me. I feel safe when he's around, but I don't now quite why." She stopped reading.  
  
"I know why now, but I can never say it. Rule number own of being an agent is that we aren't allowed to let our personal feelings disrupt our duty. And the second rule is that...we aren't allowed to be in love with anyone who isn't an agent." She closed the journal and then walked over to her bed. It was late and she was tired.  
  
"Even so...I can't help it...I really like him." She closed her eyes and fell asleep.  
  
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Aw, that felt good to write some stuff. I'm having fun! Please R&R! I want at least 6 for this chapter. I know it can be done. Anyway, what do you think? Now you guys know more about agents. I'll write more soon...hopefully.  
  
And make sure to tell me what you think I should do about the prequel thing. I would probably start it after I finish "Broken Flame". Please read it as well. Audi^.^ 


	18. The Gem

Gee, how long as it been since I did this? I think it's been a while now. I'm sorry this took so long, but I was waiting for my five reviews...that and I was rereading Premonition. I went back and fixed everything. I'll put up the edited version after I finish transferring it. I'm so hungry right now...  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Zoids, only the characters I make and this fic.  
  
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The desert air was dead and the atmosphere was very empty. The sun blazed above, but no heat was felt. Risai stood in the middle of their battlefield. There were the same familiar rocks and dead trees, along with the sand. She glanced around a little and then sighed.  
  
"Great, it's happening again," she said to no one in particular. She then heard the sound of metal against metal, coming from both directions. She looked around and saw a battle happening not too far away. There were a lot of zoids from both sides in the area. She decided to go the other way and find out what was making the other noise. She walked a little and then stopped. What she saw was not something that was easy to comprehend. It was Leon's red Blade Liger and her Genosaurer. They were fighting each other.  
  
"What's going on?" she asked herself. She watched the two go at it, completely confused about the entire matter. She then got kind of mad. "Somebody hijacked my zoid!" she yelled to whoever was listening. She looked around a little and then found an abandoned Rev Raptor. She ran over to it and climbed into the cockpit. She tried to get the zoid to work, but it wouldn't move. She then decided to try and open a com-link so she could see who it was that was in her zoid.  
  
"Stupid piece of junk," she said as the machine kept locking up. "Why won't you work?!" She was getting frustrated. She then looked back to the battle. The red Blade Liger was charging the Genosaurer, but was then knocked back by it. The Blade Liger was slammed into a rock wall and then didn't get back up.  
  
"Oh no," said Risai. The Genosaurer aimed its guns and fired a single bullet, strait at the cockpit. It made contact and the cockpit blew up. Risai stood there, not knowing what to do. "No." she said. She banged her fists down hard on the control panel and squeezed her eyes shut. "No!" she yelled. The com-link then opened with the pilot of the Genosaurer. Risai looked up and then went into shock as her eyes fell upon the person in the cockpit.  
  
"It's...me," she said in shock. It was like looking into a mirror.  
  
******  
  
The next morning rolled around quickly and everyone began to get up. Risai had been up since 4, thinking about her dream.  
  
'It can't be,' she thought to herself. 'I...I would never...do anything like that.' She then decided to get out of bed and walk around.  
  
'I need to clear my head.' She walked around a little more and ended up in the breakfast hall where everyone else was. They all looked up from their meals as she entered the room.  
  
"Good morning Risai," said Leena. Risai didn't answer. She just walked over to the table and took her usual seat. Her head was down as if she was thinking about something. She then sighed. They all just watched her.  
  
"Is something wrong?" asked Bit. She glanced up slightly and then sighed again.  
  
"No, nothing. I'm just tired, that's all," she answered.  
  
"Alright." They all ate quietly and were soon done.  
  
"What should we do today?" asked Rick.  
  
"I don't know," said Bit.  
  
"Let's just walk around for a while. Maybe we'll think of something," suggested Naomi.  
  
"Okay." They all stood up and began to walk around the base, looking for something to entertain them.  
  
******  
  
The prison cells were as dark as ever, even though the sun was shining outside. Taban sat alone in his cell and just stared at the ceiling.  
  
'Prison life is so boring,' he thought to himself. 'I wonder how everyone is doing back at the base.' He then heard footsteps coming down into the hall. He knew who it was and decided to pay no attention to the approaching footsteps. They soon stopped.  
  
"Hello Taban," said Rose. He just glanced over to her, a look of hate on his face.  
  
"What do you want?" he asked harshly.  
  
"I have a surprise for you."  
  
"Let me guess. You're letting me out."  
  
"You wish. This is much better." She held out her hand and in it was a small purple gem, which didn't go unnoticed. Taban sat up and stared at it. He knew what kind of stone it was.  
  
"You...you wouldn't," he said. She closed her hand on the gem.  
  
"Relax. It's not for you," she said. Taban sighed in relief.  
  
"That's good."  
  
"It's for your sister."  
  
******  
  
The three teams, along with Miharu and Risai, eventually found something to do. They were back in the pool area, sitting at a table, talking. There were also a few games in the area, like a ping-pong table and an air hockey table. They were all sitting around at the table right now, except Risai, who sat by the edge of the pool, staring at the water. She seemed to be thinking of something.  
  
It was a bright and beautiful day. The green landscape wasn't often seen, but this place was an exception. It was beautiful. In the middle of the area was a huge lake. Four people were approaching it from the forest area around the lake. A little girl, about 5 years old, ran out into the area first and towards the lake. She wore a red dress that contrasted with her shoulder length cerulean hair. Her eyes were the same blue of the lake, a rare shade of blue for an eye color. She had a huge grin on her face as she looked at the water.  
  
"Sis, wait up!" called a 10-year-old boy as he ran towards the lake as well. He had spiked hair that was a bluish, silver color. His eyes were a deep green, like the forest around him. He wore a blue coat and a pair of blue jeans. Two adults were walking behind him. One had long blue hair and green eyes. She wore a blue sundress and a white summer hat with flowers on it. The other was a man with spiked silver hair and blue eyes. He watched as the two children played by the lake. His expression was unreadable. The woman smiled at her two children. The adults began to set up camp, since they would be spending the night there.  
  
Night fell upon them quickly and the sky was beautiful. The two moons were shining brightly above them. The campground they were at was being lit by the bond fire as the flames danced and twirled in the dark night sky. The mother had turned in early and was sleeping in the tent. The boy had decided to go and get more firewood, leaving the father and the girl alone by the lake. The father watched his girl run around, chasing fireflies. She'd try to catch them, but would then fail miserably, but it never seemed to discourage her. She stopped to catch her breath.  
  
"Risai," said her father, no emotion in his voice when he spoke her name. Her head turned to look at him, a look of confusion replacing her smile. He motioned for her to come to him and she walked over. She stopped in front of him. He was sitting on a log near the fire. He picked her up, turned her around, and sat her down on his lap. Risai stared at the fire as it continued to dance.  
  
"I know this must seem strange to you," said the father, his deep voice seeming emotionless. "This is the first time I've ever held you like this. I have something to tell you."  
  
"What is it?" she asked in her small voice, which was now quiet.  
  
"No matter what happens, I want you to promise me that you will be strong. Don't go around crying and complaining, be strong. Whether it deals with being a zoid pilot or over friendships, relationships, I want you to be strong. Promise me."  
  
"But why daddy?"  
  
"I don't want my little girl to be known as a weakling."  
  
"Okay daddy. I promise."  
  
The pool in front of her suddenly came back into view as she snapped back into the present. 'Guess Dad must be pretty disappointed in me. I'm not half as strong as I should be.'  
  
"Hey Risai," called Miharu. She turned her head and smiled towards her friends.  
  
"What?" she asked in a cheerful mood.  
  
"Come over here."  
  
"Okay." She stood up and began to walk over, remembering that she tripped the last time.  
  
"Now stop there." Risai stopped, a little confused as to what was going on. She then heard something pop above her and suddenly rainbow colored streamers began to fall, along with confetti.  
  
"Happy Birthday!" they all chimed. Now Risai was completely confused.  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
"Happy Birthday!" they repeated.  
  
"It's my birthday?"  
  
"Well," started Miharu. "Technically, it isn't, but since we don't know when it is, we decided to have it today."  
  
"Well...I guess that makes sense."  
  
"It doesn't really, but it gave us something to do," said Bit. They all began to laugh at their little joke and Risai began to laugh as well.  
  
******  
  
Taban stood up from his bed and ran to the bars. He reached out and tried to get the stone, but failed miserably as Rose pulled her hand back. She smirked.  
  
"You leave Risai alone!" yelled Taban.  
  
"Why should I? It's not like you're any threat." Taban cooled off upon realizing something.  
  
"It can't work anyway. She's not here, so you can't do anything to her."  
  
"Wanna know a secret? Once a person is exposed to a Ryu stone, like this one, they never fully heal from it."  
  
"What?"  
  
"It's simple. The pulse it sends to the brain never fully disappears. It remains there, and by using this stone, I can activate it again. I can't control her, but I can cause her to do some damage. Perhaps even kill a few people, not to mention it will cause her a great deal of pain."  
  
"No, please! Leave her alone."  
  
"That's not an option." Rose put her free hand to her wrist and removed her bracelet. It was similar to the ones that Taban, Miharu, and Risai had; only in a way, it was different. The stone was similar, but had its own kind of aura, unlike theirs. She twisted the stone and it began to shine a soft gray light, since her stone was black.  
  
"What are you doing?" asked Taban.  
  
"By combining the stones' signals, I can locate someone who also has both, mainly, another agent. And the only agent with the enhancements and the Ryu's pulse would be Risai. Are you ready?"  
  
"Please don't," pleaded Taban.  
  
"Too late. I just wish I could be there to see what happens." She placed the Ryu gem near her own gem and it began to resonate.  
  
******  
  
They were all still in the pool room, their laughter dying down now. Risai just smiled to her friends. She then straitened, the happiness drained from her face. She squeezed her eyes shut and placed her hands on the sides of her head, pressing against it. Pain began to shoot through her head as she fell to her knees. Everyone stood up, their laughter gone completely.  
  
"Risai, what's wrong?" asked Miharu, the worry heavy in her voice.  
  
"My...my head," she said in a voice filled with pain. She let out a small scream of pain before falling farther towards the floor. "Such splitting...make it stop...please."  
  
They all ran to her as she lied on the floor, holding her head in her hands. They didn't know what to do for her. Suddenly, she stopped struggling. She let go of her head and opened her eyes. She looked to them with eyes that weren't her own. She stood up as if nothing had happened, a look of nothing on her face.  
  
"Risai?" questioned Miharu. Risai turned to her. They were all in a circle around Risai. She looked to Miharu; her eyes empty of all emotions. She suddenly smirked as her eyes became cold and frightening. With lightning speed, she punched Miharu in the stomach. Everyone seemed surprised at this.  
  
"Risai," said Miharu quietly. She fell to her knees, arms crossed over her stomach. Risai ran past all of them and down the hall. Miharu stood back up, trying to ignore the pain. "We...we have to stop her. There's no telling what she'll do."  
  
They all nodded and then ran out of the room. Risai had gotten ahead of them. They heard screams coming from one of the labs. They all ran into the lab room and found Risai, who had just punched out a scientist. She stood there, the same look on her face.  
  
"What should we do?" asked Jamie.  
  
"We don't have a choice," said Miharu. "If she keeps going like this, then there won't be anyone left in this base. I don't know what's going on, but we've gotta stop her." Miharu ran towards Risai. "Come on, I need your help."  
  
"You want us to attack Risai?" asked Rick.  
  
"Yes. Please trust me. This is the only way." They all ran towards Miharu, making sure to close the door to the room. Risai smirked. It was the same look she used to have a year ago. She ran at them, throwing punches left and right, but they all moved out of the way. In her confusion on who to go after, Bit and Brad grabbed her arms and held her still. She struggled to get free, but to no avail. Miharu walked up to her and sighed.  
  
"Sorry Risai," she said. She then sent a punch into her stomach. Risai winced in pain. She was then silent, not moving at all. Bit and Brad let go of her arms. Her hands shot up back to her head as the pain inside it returned. She looked around the room.  
  
"What...what have I...done?" she asked. The pain still coursed through her mind. "No more, please?" She closed her eyes and her arms dropped to her sides as she fell to the ground, unconscious.  
  
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To tell ya the truth, I don't got much to say right now. I went to my friend's party and it was great! We watched the movie "Spirited Away". It was great! Review please! Audi^.^ 


	19. Maybe I Love You

I know it's been an eternity since I last updated this, and it's not that I was having writer's block or anything. I just simply didn't feel like it. That, and I was catching up to my friend in our FF race. We're at the same place. It's great! I just might win! Wish me luck!  
  
Disclaimer: See first chapter.  
  
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The three teams, including Miharu, were all sitting around a lab area in the base. They seemed to be waiting for something.  
  
"I wonder what happened," said Bit.  
  
"So do I," said Leena.  
  
"I don't get it," said Miharu. "I haven't seen her like that since last year."  
  
"What do you think they're doing over there?" asked Naomi as she glanced over at the scientists in the lab.  
  
"They're checking the data they got from Risai after she collapsed. They said they'd come up with a reasonable explanation soon," explained Miharu.  
  
"I hope so," said Leena. They all just sat there, not wanting to leave.  
  
"Where'd Leon go?" asked Brad, noticing Leon's absence from the room.  
  
"He went to go check on Risai to see if she was awake yet," answered Leena.  
  
******  
  
Risai was lying on a bed in the medical vicinity of the base. The room was dimly lit and the only sounds were the machines that were measuring her brain waves. The door to the room slowly opened and Leon quietly walked in. He then shut the door behind him. He looked around the room. It wasn't like most med rooms he had seen. There were many computers in the room and it was also sort of darker than most. The walls were a grayish blue color and the floor was tiled with white tiles. The ceiling had a few lights and that was it. There was a bed of course, but no table, window, or anything else like that. There were a lot of machines that seemed to be transferring data and or taking it. He sighed and walked over to the bed, taking a seat in the chair that was beside it.  
  
"Exactly why am I here?" he asked aloud, hoping to get an answer, but knowing he wouldn't. "Why am I even asking you? It's not like you can answer me, or even hear me for that matter. Maybe I'm loosing it." He paused before continuing. "You know, because of you, I've done some really strange things in these past few weeks. Things I wouldn't normally do. I've even gone far enough to risk my own life to save yours, like that day on the lift. I even let you stay in my room and sleep in my bed. I even held you all through that night. You're always so clumsy and yet very sharp in everything you do. I just can't figure you out and I guess that's what bugs me so much. I'm usually good at figuring out people, but I can't understand you. I thought you hated me, since I always seem to get on your nerves, especially when I ask you questions you can't answer truthfully. You're always so strong, and yet you're kind of broken too. I don't think I've ever met anyone who can change their mood quite as quickly as you do." He watched her for a while. The only motion she made was when she breathed.  
  
"Exactly what happened to you? You weren't yourself. Why won't you wake up? I know you're stronger than this. I know you can pull through. It's strange, I've never felt like this before." He just looked at her before reaching over and taking her hand in his. His actions shocked him a little, but then he thought about it. "I think..." he started. "I think that...maybe...I love you."  
  
******  
  
First there was darkness and then a scene set in the desert appeared. The Genosaurer stood in front of the downed Blade Liger, whose cockpit was shattered and the glass was lying on the sands of the desert. The picture then seemed to pulse and as it pulsed, it blurred, and then came back into view. It did the same thing five times, and then the scene shattered, like glass from a mirror. It was dark once again. This dream was different from most, yet similar to every other. Risai wasn't able to control any of it, not even herself. She then appeared from the darkness, walking towards something. Leon then appeared in the darkness and turned to face her. She walked up to him and then stopped. They were facing each other now. She was only 3 inches shorter than he was. She then lifted her arms and placed her hands on his shoulders, and then she drew closer to him. He placed his hands on her waist. She then lifted herself up slightly on her toes and pressed her lips to his. They were connected in a passionate kiss. Then just like before, the scene shattered like glass. It was dark now once again.  
  
Risai appeared from the darkness. In her hand she held a pistol. Leon appeared a few yards in front of her. She continued walking and was soon joined by two other figures. One was Rose and the other was Colonel Garner. Each held a pistol. Once they were within a few feet of Leon, they stopped. Each held up the pistol and slowly pulled the trigger. Three shots went off.  
  
Risai opened her eyes. It was still dark all around her.  
  
"I'm back," she said to herself. "I was dreaming inside my dream? How strange." She was floating again, but her head hurt. "What's going on? Taban.I wish you were here. Then you could help me with this."  
  
"Wish granted," said Taban.  
  
"Is it really you?"  
  
"Who else would it be?"  
  
"Good point."  
  
"What do you need?"  
  
"I'm just...confused. Why? Why are my dreams all...mixed up? They keep changing. What's going on?" she asked. Taban seemed to sigh.  
  
"It's because of the Ryu's pulse," he answered.  
  
"Ryu's pulse?"  
  
"From the Ryu gem that was used on you."  
  
"I don't get it."  
  
"You know how the Ryu gem works, right?"  
  
"Well, yeah. It emits a pulse that interferes with certain brain waves in order to block memories."  
  
"Exactly, but the pulse never leaves. It remains inactive in a person's mind. Rose had activated the pulse inside of yours. That's why you felt so much pain. It's also why your dreams are being affected. It's throwing off the balance."  
  
"How do I stop it?"  
  
"I don't know. You gotta be strong sis, alright? Don't let it control you."  
  
"I'll try, but Taban? I can't wake up. I've tried, but I just can't."  
  
"I guess I could wake you up, like I did before."  
  
"Thanks bro."  
  
"Anytime."  
  
******  
  
In the med room, Leon was still sitting at Risai's bedside. She then moaned slightly and moved. He released her hand and then watched as she slowly opened her eyes.  
  
"Where...am I?" she asked. She looked to the side and saw Leon sitting there. She smiled. "Hi."  
  
"Hello."  
  
"How long have I been out?"  
  
"Only a day."  
  
"That's good." She then sat up in bed, swung her legs over the side and stood up. "Where is everybody?"  
  
"They're waiting for the results of the tests to come back in order to find out what happened to you."  
  
"Then come on," said Risai as she slowly began to walk to the door.  
  
"Are you sure you should be walking around?" asked Leon.  
  
"No, I shouldn't, but I'm going to anyway. I gotta know what's going on. I want the full story and I wanna know what can be done about it."  
  
"I'll come with you." They both walked out the door and began to head down the hall towards the lab where everyone else was waiting.  
  
******  
  
In the lab where all the scientists were, Bit, Leena, Brad, Jamie, Doc, Naomi, Rick, Mattei, Meiyuu, and Miharu were all sitting around waiting. Then a scientist came out of the closed room with a few papers in his hands and a grim look on his face. They all stood up from their chairs and walked towards him.  
  
"Well?" asked Miharu.  
  
"I'm afraid this isn't good," he responded.  
  
"Why? What's wrong?" asked Leena.  
  
"It seems that there is a certain type of...of pulsing in her head."  
  
"Pulsing?" asked Bit.  
  
"Yes. It's been dormant but now it seems to be active again. It's why she was acting strangely and why she was in so much pain."  
  
"What do you mean exactly?"  
  
"It's a pulse, like a fault in her brain waves. It's been there for, we believe, a year now. It's the same signal that comes from a Ryu gem."  
  
"That explains it," said Miharu. "A year ago is when the stone was removed, and it's been dormant ever since. I wonder why it would start up again."  
  
"Our guess is that somebody, somewhere, is using a Ryu gem to activate the pulse."  
  
"But how? Ryu gems are rare and who could possibly have the knowledge of how to use it? This doesn't make sense."  
  
"Your guess is as good as mine as to 'how' this is happening, but it's happening and we only have a few options. We can't risk her injuring any more people, so we'll have to do something about the pulsing. We have a solution, but I'm not sure if you'll agree to it."  
  
"Well, what is it?"  
  
"We can perform a procedure in which we can erase the pulsing from her, but it's very risky."  
  
"How risky?" asked Miharu.  
  
"There's a fifty-fifty chance that she'll make it out alive." The last part was dragged as he noticed their face expressions drop. "I'm sorry. If she weren't an agent, then there'd only be a 40 percent chance that she'd make it out. She's lucky to even have half a chance. The procedure is very difficult, since it interferes with the brain waves inside a person's head. We're sorry, but this is all we can do. You need to decide what you want to do about this."  
  
"Do it."  
  
They all looked to the hallway and saw Risai, who was leaning against a wall for support, and Leon, who was standing behind her.  
  
"Risai," said Miharu.  
  
"Please. I want to do this. I don't want to hurt any more people, so please just let me."  
  
"But Risai, you could..."  
  
"I know I could die, but I have to do this. When I was young, my father never said anything nice to me, never expected anything of me, but he did tell me one thing. He wanted me to be strong, so I'm going to be. I'll make it by relying on my own strength. I don't want to disappoint my father anymore than I already have. So please Miharu, let me do this."  
  
"...Fine. It's your decision. We'll all be hoping for you."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"It'll take a day or so to prepare, so you'll have to hold out until then," said the scientist.  
  
"Alright," said Risai. He nodded and then walked back into the lab to prepare for the procedure.  
  
**************************************************************************** ********************  
  
I think I'll end it here. I sure enjoy torturing my poor characters. I have so much fun doing that, but I realize it's kinda mean. I'm sorry I haven't been updating lately. I've been caught up in...do I even have to say it? I don't think I will. I've also been planning my 16th birthday party with my friends and family. I'm gonna do a big update on the 23 for Christmas. I'm updating everything and putting up the first chapter of the PREQUEL. I'll also finish off BROKEN FLAME, which currently has 4 chapters. GO READ IT, PLEASE! That's all. Review! I'd like to break 100 with this chapter, so lets do it! Audi^.^ 


	20. Insanity

THANK YOU! I got 102 reviews now! This is great! I also finished BROKEN FLAME! Go read it, otherwise you may be confused at some points. It won't take long. READ IT!  
  
And I beat FF9! Unfortunately, I lost the race by a few hours, but it doesn't matter. I had fun and found someone to talk FF with at my school! It's great!  
  
Anime Christmas party! I'm going to one at her house! It'll be great!  
  
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Risai was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She had nothing to do. She didn't want to sleep, but she didn't want to walk around either. She was waiting for the next time in which the Ryu pulse would act up again. She wanted to be away from people until the operation was over. 'The operation,' she thought to herself. 'I hate that word. I only have half a chance of living...but...I'll make it. I know I will. I have to.' She then thought back to her dream.  
  
'What one is real? Are they going to change again if I go to sleep?' She then touched her fingers to her lips. 'In my dream, I...I kissed Leon.' She began to blush at the thought, but then shook her head.  
  
"No," she said aloud. "I can't. I can't break the rules. I don't want to put him through anything. It wouldn't be fair." She rolled over onto her side to face the door.  
  
"I hate being alone."  
  
******  
  
Taban was lying on his bed, alone in his cell.  
  
"Please let everyone be alright," he said to himself.  
  
"Why do you talk to yourself?" asked Rose as she walked up to the cell. Taban sat up and glared at her. "I love that look. I can tell by your eyes. You're mad at me."  
  
"Try furious, you-"  
  
"Tsk, tsk, now Taban, I wouldn't go around insulting people like that. Especially when they hold your fate in their hands. I also still hold this." She held up the Ryu gem.  
  
"Please don't. You've caused them enough pain. This isn't fair."  
  
"It's not fair, huh? Is it fair that your sister took away the one person I loved?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"He died because of her. Was that fair? Was it fair that Rainer died?"  
  
"You loved Rainer?"  
  
"Of course I did, but he never noticed me. He loved your sister, and then he died. I will get revenge; mark my words. I want your sister to suffer, and I have many ways to do it. I want her to kill everyone in that base, starting with her friends. She needs to suffer."  
  
"Rainer never loved you. Let it go!" Rose glared at him.  
  
"She will pay. She took the person I loved away, so now I'll take away someone she loves, and thanks to you, I know his name."  
  
"He's just her friend."  
  
"Do you really believe that? I'm an agent as well. I know you talk to her at night. I know she's been having dreams. She cares more about him than you know. You can't have these kinds of dreams unless you love the 'doomed to die'. That's what a protector is. Unfortunately, that's against the rules. An agent can't be with someone who's normal. She's destined to be alone for the rest of her life."  
  
"So are you."  
  
"I don't care. As long as she suffers, I'll be happy. I'll kill Leon through her. It will be the ultimate revenge."  
  
"You're sick."  
  
"Watch what you say Taban. I own this base and I can do what I want with its prisoners." She then held up the Ryu stone.  
  
"Now let's try this again."  
  
******  
  
"You're actually letting her go through with this?" asked Bit. They were all sitting in the dining room.  
  
"It's not my place to decide what she does," said Miharu. "This is her problem and she can deal with it however she wants."  
  
"But she could die," said Leena.  
  
"I'm aware of that."  
  
"Then why aren't you doing anything about it?" asked Naomi.  
  
"Because Risai understands what's at stake here and I acknowledge her decision. It's either the operation or death. We can't risk anyone else getting hurt because of her and she knows this, now you all need to accept it," said Miharu harshly. "You may think all of you are acting out of concern, but you're all being selfish. If you really care about her, then you'll understand why she's doing this." They were all silent as they thought it over. Leon stood up and walked over to the door.  
  
"Where are you going?" asked Jamie.  
  
"I'm gonna go see Risai," he answered as he left the room. Miharu stared at the doors. 'Both of them are going to get hurt if this keeps up,' she thought to herself. 'Risai is going to break another rule.'  
  
******  
  
Leon walked down the hall towards the labs to find Risai. She was resting in one of the rooms. He walked with his head down, in thought.  
  
'Do I...do I really love her? Am I allowed to? She's an agent and I'm...not.' He sighed. 'I can't help it. I really love her, but...what if she doesn't love me? Maybe I shouldn't tell her, but I'll never know if I don't try.' He continued walking and came to the room she was resting in. He slowly opened the door and walked in.  
  
"Risai?" he asked. She turned to look at him and then sat up on her bed.  
  
"Hi," she said.  
  
"How are you?"  
  
"I'm good, but you shouldn't be here and you know it. No one should be here."  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"I'm afraid, I guess. I'm not sure when it'll happen again and I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me. No one should come to see me until after the operation, not even you. I might hurt you."  
  
"So, you're worried about me?" He smiled to her.  
  
"Of course," she said.  
  
"Don't worry. Nothing will happen."  
  
"You can't be sure about that."  
  
"Maybe I can't, but it won't happen. You'll be going into surgery in a while and then you'll never have to worry about it again."  
  
"Still, I don't feel safe having people around me right now, but..."  
  
"But you don't want to be alone, right?"  
  
"...Right." He walked over and sat down next to her.  
  
"Why are you so afraid?"  
  
"Because when I was under Toran's control, I killed more people than I can count. I never want to hurt any innocent people again...especially you guys. I may end up killing people next time. Leon, I want you to do me a favor."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"If I try to kill someone the next time it happens, I want you to...to kill me."  
  
"What?" he asked in disbelief.  
  
"I don't want to become a killer again. I couldn't live with myself if I killed any of you, so please Leon, promise me."  
  
"I can't."  
  
"Please."  
  
"No. I don't want to kill you; I couldn't, even if you do try to kill me or any one of us. I just can't."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I care too much about you. I'd never hurt you, let alone kill you."  
  
"Leon, I..." Risai suddenly felt a surge of pain run through her head. She grabbed it and shut her eyes tightly.  
  
"Risai?"  
  
"It's happening again," she said, her voice displaying her pain.  
  
"You have to fight it."  
  
"I can't. It hurts too much." She stood up. "I have to get out of here.away from this base." She ran out of the room, doing her best to keep her balance as she ran. Leon got up and followed her. She ran down the hall and into the dining area. Everyone stared at her as she entered the room.  
  
"Risai?" question Miharu.  
  
"Please, help me," she pleaded. She fell to her knees in pain. They all ran over to her, but once they got there, she released her head and stopped struggling. Leon then entered the room.  
  
"Risai?" he questioned. Risai stood up, her head hanging low. She lifted it and stared at all of them, a blank expression on her face. She reached to her side where her gun was, but was grabbed by Brad and Bit. She stepped back and tripped each one by hooking their ankles with her feet. They fell to the floor hard. Risai whipped out her sword and charged towards Miharu, who got hers out just as quickly. She was just in time to block a swing from the sword. The two swords hit as a sharp sound echoed in the room.  
  
"Listen. All of you get out of here now," said Miharu.  
  
"We're not leaving," said Bit as he and Brad stood back up. "We want to help." Risai and Miharu broke their stalemate and Miharu swung at her quickly, knocking the sword out of her hand. Risai jumped back, unarmed. Miharu put her own sword away. Risai glanced around at everyone in the room and then faced Miharu again. She lunged at her and aimed a punch at her face, which connected. Miharu was thrown to the floor, her sword falling out of its sheath.  
  
"All of you get out of here. There's no stopping her this time," said Miharu as she supported herself on her elbows. Risai picked up her sword and once again approached Miharu. She raised the sword above her head and was about to bring it down, but a gunshot echoed throughout the room. The bullet hit the sword, breaking the sword in half. It clattered as it hit the ground. Risai turned to see Rick holding a gun, aimed right at where her sword had been. She dropped the hilt to the floor.  
  
"Nice shot," said Bit.  
  
"Thanks." There was no humor or cockiness in their voices, which were normally present when they spoke. All of them had serious looks on their faces. Risai glared at Rick. She charged for him and kicked the gun out of his hands. She then punched him in the gut and he fell over. Bit was the next closest person. She did a spin kick to his side, which he grabbed afterwards and fell to his knees.  
  
"Bit!" yelled Leena as she ran over to him. She knelt down near him. Risai stood over both of them. She then spun around quickly and caught Miharu's arm before she could punch Risai. Risai smirked and then flipped her. Risai calmly walked away and picked up Miharu's sword. She smirked at the rest of them. Her eyes displayed a need to kill, along with pain. 'If I try to kill someone the next time it happens, I want you to...kill me.' Risai's words played over again in Leon's mind. 'I don't want to become a killer again.' Leon didn't know what to do. Risai began to walk towards them. Leon shut his eyes tightly, trying to decide what to do. In the mean time, Risai had already punched out nearly everyone, except for Leena and Naomi, who were sitting near Bit and Brad. Miharu was struggling to get back to her feet. She looked on as Risai walked towards Leon, who seemed to be thinking.  
  
'I...I have to. If she wants me to, then...' Leon reached for the pistol at his side. All soldiers had to have them. He pulled it out and aimed at Risai, who stopped in her tracks. Her eyes clouded over as she stared at the gun, but it wasn't fear in her eyes. It was sorrow and disbelief. Leon stared at her as he held her at gunpoint. He hadn't pulled the trigger yet. He looked at her eyes. 'I can't do this...I can't kill her. I love her.' He lowered his gun and she smirked. Miharu got up and began to run over. Risai stopped and pulled her sword back, ready to strike.  
  
"Get out of the way!" yelled Miharu. She shoved Leon out of the way as Risai's sword pierced her flesh. Miharu cringed. "So how does it feel?" asked Risai in a cold and ruthless voice. "To be stabbed with your own sword."  
  
"You're not Risai," said Miharu. Risai smirked and pulled the sword out. Miharu fell to her knees as the crimson blood dropped to the floor. She looked up at Risai, whose eyes suddenly closed tightly. She fell to her knees as well and grabbed her head. She cried out in pain and then fell to the floor, unconscious. Miharu sighed and then fell as well, letting the darkness take her.  
  
**************************************************************************** ********************  
  
I tend to torment my characters, don't I? Well anyways, that's all for now. I'll write more soon. Maybe I'll update on my birthday, which I still gotta plan more stuff for. The PREQUEL is now up. It's called UNCIVIL WAR. Go read it!  
  
Merry Christmas, happy holidays. Audi^.^ 


	21. The Night Before

Been a while, right? A week at least. I decided to write more. I haven't been inspired lately, and, well, I'm still not really that inspired, but I'm gonna write more anyway. And thanks to those who wished me a happy birthday. I can't wait for it to come.  
  
Let me tell you something though. Rose is psychotic. (I always spell this wrong and then the spell check fixes it...man, I gotta learn to spell.) She enjoys torturing people in many different ways. I don't know why I just said this. You probably already knew all of that. I'm loosing it.  
  
And one more thing. When they aren't taking training courses, they all wear their normal battle outfits that they wore in the show. I just wanted to point that out.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own zoids. Go read the first chapter for the full disclaimer.  
  
UNCIVIL WAR is the PREQUEL. Go read it please.  
  
**************************************************************************** ********************  
  
Risai's eyes slowly opened and adjusted to the lighting of the room. She was back in the lab like medical room she had been in before. She sat up and was surprised that the dizzy feeling wasn't there. She swung her legs over the side and stood up. "What happened?" she asked, unable to remember anything. The last thing she remembered was fleeing form the base, then asking Miharu for help. Everything else was hazy in her memory.  
  
"It happened again," she said to herself. She shook her head and walked towards the door. 'I wonder what kind of damage I caused this time. I hope everyone is alright.' She turned the knob on the door and opened it. She walked out and found herself in the lab area. She walked a little ways down the hall and came to the waiting area of the lab, where nurses, along with the three teams, were all sitting around. The nurses were bandaging up everyone's cuts and scrapes. Bit had a rib injury. Everyone else seemed to get off easy. Risai walked out into the area and stood in the doorway. They all looked to her. Each had the same, pity like expression on their face.  
  
"Hey Risai," said Bit quietly. Risai glanced around the room. Everyone had been injured in one way or another.  
  
"I'm sorry," whispered Risai. "I never meant to hurt any of you."  
  
"We know," said Leena. She was sitting next to Bit. The only injury she had was a scratch on her cheek.  
  
"How do you feel?" asked Brad.  
  
"I don't know." Everything was quiet as Risai glanced around the room. She then became panicked. "Where's Leon?" she asked. "He...he isn't..."  
  
"Don't worry, he's fine. He left a little while ago. He said he wanted to walk around for a bit," explained Naomi.  
  
"That's a relief," said Risai. She then looked around once more. There was someone else missing. "Where's Miharu?" Everyone turned their attention to the floor. Their faces displayed sorrow. Risai felt a sudden urgency. "Where is she?"  
  
"She's in the medical bay," said Rick, finally speaking up.  
  
"Medical bay?" asked Risai in worry.  
  
"In intensive care," finished Bit. Risai froze at their words.  
  
"Oh God..." she said. She turned away from the room and began to run down the hallway towards the medical bay. She ran as fast as she could and turned a corner, but as she did, she bumped into someone. She stumbled back a little, but didn't fall. She looked up and saw Leon. He was shoved back a little, but he hadn't stumbled.  
  
"What's the rush?" he asked. Risai was breathing hard since she had been running the whole way.  
  
"I have to get to the medical bay," she said. There was urgency in her voice and Leon knew why she wanted to go there.  
  
"You're going to see Miharu, right?"  
  
"Yes. Now I need to go," she said as she went around him and continued running down the hall.  
  
"I'll come with you," said Leon as he turned and began to run after her. The medical bay was practically on the other side of the base. Risai finally made it there and Leon was right behind her. Risai stopped at a room that had the door open and she looked in. On the bed lied Miharu. She was hooked up to a few machines and her stomach was completely bandaged. Risai walked into the room and looked closer. Miharu had a huge blood red spot on her stomach. The blood was seeping through the bandages. There was a heart monitor and she was hooked to a respirator as well. Risai could feel the tears welling up in her eyes.  
  
"What have I done?" she asked herself. Leon then walked in behind her, shutting the door as he entered.  
  
"She was stabbed through the stomach with a sword," he explained. "We took her here right after it happened. The doctors said that they're not sure when or if she'll wake up." His voice was quiet as he explained it to her.  
  
"Miharu can't die," said Risai. "She's my best friend. I did this to her. If she dies, it'll be my fault." Risai then turned to Leon. He could see the tears in her eyes, but she still wasn't crying yet. She seemed angry. "I told you to kill me," she said angrily. "I didn't want anybody to get hurt, and now Miharu could die. Why didn't you kill me?"  
  
She ran at him and pulled her fist back, about to punch him in the chest. Leon didn't make any attempt to move. Risai punched Leon, but he didn't stumble or even move. The punch had been light and hadn't even hurt. Risai stayed there, her fist against Leon's chest. Her tears began to flow down her face as she tried to hide it by looking towards the ground. Leon had a look of pity and sorrow on his face as he looked down at Risai. Risai dropped her fist to her side, her body beginning to shake. Leon slowly brought his arms up and wrapped them around Risai, pulling her towards him. She began to cry into him and he just held her there.  
  
"I couldn't kill you. I tried, but I couldn't," he said.  
  
"You should have," she said, her voice quiet and muffled, since her face was pressed against Leon.  
  
"If I asked you to kill me, would you?" Risai didn't answer him. Her sobs were getting quieter and she had stopped shaking.  
  
"...No, I couldn't."  
  
"See? Do you understand?"  
  
"What if I had killed someone right there in front of you? What if I had killed Leena? She's your sister. Would you have killed me?"  
  
"Probably not. I still wouldn't be able to."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I care about you too much." Risai was silent. 'He cares about me?' she asked herself. The scene of her kissing him replayed in her head. She moved away slightly, just enough to lift her head to look at him. Leon's arms were still around her and hers were against his chest. Her cheeks were stained with tears and her eyes were slightly red. She began to move her arms and wrapped them around his back, pulling herself back towards him.  
  
"Thanks Leon," she said. Leon smiled and pulled her tighter into a hug. 'Maybe I should tell her,' he thought to himself.  
  
"Risai, there's something I want to tell you," started Leon.  
  
"What is it?" She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his. 'Here goes nothing,' thought Leon as he prepared himself for either acceptance or rejection.  
  
"Risai, I..." Just then, the door to the room opened and in walked Bit and Leena, followed by everyone else. Both Leon and Risai turned to look at them. Bit and Leena, along with everyone else, stared blankly, with a hint of confusion on their faces. Leon and Risai quickly broke their embrace and turned away, blushing. Unknown to them, Miharu had just opened her eyes. She slowly pushed herself up on her elbows and stared at everyone.  
  
"Gee, what a welcoming committee," said Miharu. Everyone quickly turned their attention to her. The crimson on Risai's face disappeared and a smile replaced it. She ran over to Miharu and hugged her.  
  
"I'm so glad you're alright," she said happily.  
  
"Easy," said Miharu. "I'm injured, remember?"  
  
"Sorry," said Risai as she loosened her embrace. Miharu smiled at her, but Risai's smile faded. "I was afraid that you wouldn't wake up."  
  
"I'm alright now."  
  
"I know, but I might have killed you. I'm sorry Miharu."  
  
"It's fine, don't worry."  
  
They spent the day talking about various things. Eventually, everyone decided to leave Miharu and let her rest. Everyone walked out of the room. Risai stopped and waited for Leon to come out.  
  
"Hey Leon?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"What was it you wanted to tell me?" Leon was afraid of this. He knew she wouldn't forget. He needed to come up with an excuse and fast.  
  
"Nothing," he said. It was the only thing he could think of.  
  
"What? But you..."  
  
"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." He turned and walked off before she could question his answer. Risai stood there for a while and then turned away. She was heading back to the laboratory room. 'They'll be ready soon,' she thought to herself. 'I can't believe I'm going through with this. What if I don't make it? I can't do this alone.' She eventually ended up back in the room. She walked over to her bed and lied down. 'I hate this room. It reminds me of a hospital.' She turned to her side and closed her eyes. She drifted off into a dreamless sleep, something she needed now more than anything.  
  
******  
  
It had gotten late and everyone was bored. The sun was just beginning to go down and the sunset was breathtaking, but nobody seemed to care. It had been a while since the last Backdraft attack and everyone was on edge. Guards were stationed at every opening to the base and at every lookout point. In the base, some people were resting. It wasn't incredibly late, but it was after dinner already. Risai hadn't shown up for dinner, but no one expected her to. She was resting since her operation would take place later that night. In her room, Risai was still asleep, but in her sleep, things weren't going quite as well. The darkness was back and she floated around in it aimlessly. She was just happy that there weren't any more dreams.  
  
"Taban?" she asked hopefully to the darkness.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Good, you are here."  
  
"Of course I am. I have to tell you something, and it's gotta be fast. The Backdraft is about to attack the base."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I need you to warn everybody."  
  
"I can't. I haven't been able to wake up."  
  
"They'll be there in a few minutes."  
  
"I know, but I can't wake up. What should I do?"  
  
"Well, I don't know, but-" His voice was suddenly cut off.  
  
"Taban?" There was no response. "Come on bro, this isn't funny. Taban!" There was still no response. "Something must have happened." She glanced around and then closed her eyes. "Please be okay."  
  
******  
  
"Wake up!" yelled Rose. She shook Taban and woke him from his important dream. Taban opened his eyes and found himself staring into a pair of angry ones, the same color as his. Rose stepped back and he sat up. He glared at her. "I know what you were doing and I'm not about to let you ruin our surprise attack."  
  
"You're too late," he stated. "I already did." Rose glared at him, hate in her eyes.  
  
"You're proving to be more trouble than you're worth. Maybe I should just kill you now." She took out a revolver that hung at her side and aimed it right at Taban's head. He was now staring down the barrel of a gun. He then smirked.  
  
"Do it and you'll have no hold over Risai. I'm your only hostage, remember?"  
  
"We can always change that. I'd rather have no hold over her than not be able to attack the ZBC by surprise."  
  
"You'll be making a mistake."  
  
"I think you're just trying to save your own life."  
  
"I'd rather die than watch my friends suffer. I'm not afraid of death."  
  
"Is that so?" Rose spun her revolver once around her trigger finger and then put it back in its holder at her side. She then smirked and sat down on Taban's bed, making him move back towards the corner. She smirked. "Are you afraid of me Taban?" He didn't answer her. His only response was turning away from her sight. "What's wrong Taban? Don't you like me?"  
  
"Why should I? You're trying to kill my sister," he responded angrily.  
  
"How about I add another hole to your body?" Taban still had injuries that hadn't healed. His ankle still hurt from its sprain and he still had a bullet hole in his shoulder. None of his wounds had been treated properly by the Backdraft. Rose took out a knife from the belt at her side. She moved closer to Taban and held the knife up, pressing it against his neck. He didn't flinch or anything. "I guess you're not afraid to die." She kept the knife where it was and stood up. She turned to face Taban, her right hand still holding the knife in place. His hateful eyes followed her as she moved. She looked down to him and then she bent down so their eyes were level. She took her left hand and brushed it through his spiked, silver blue hair.  
  
"Your hair is so soft," she said. She then ran her hand from his hair to his cheek. He didn't move once. "Even your skin is perfect." Taban didn't do anything except stare at her. If looks could kill, Rose would have been dead. "If you don't fear death, then you must at least fear pain. Why don't we see what your response will be?" She moved the knife and placed it near his shoulder. His eyes held her the whole time, not once straying. They still held the same hate. Rose gave a wicked grin and began to move the knife down Taban's chest in a diagonal. She pressed down hard enough to draw blood. He flinched as she pressed it down and dragged it across him. He shut his eyes tightly and moaned slightly. Rose smiled.  
  
"Does that hurt?" She moved it slowly and eventually reached his hip. She pulled the knife away and kept her smile. "You're so cute Taban. Even more so when you're in pain." She put the knife back where she had drawn if from and began to walk towards the door of the cell. "I'll be back Taban. Your pain has only begun." She opened the door and closed it behind her, making sure to lock it. Taban lied back down on his bed and held his chest in pain. He couldn't cover the wound that was on his chest now.  
  
"Risai..." he said in a pained voice. "Please, hear me." He focused his mind and tried to find her signal, knowing he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep. "Hey Panther. If we still have a connection, then help me contact Risai. Please." Taban tried to focus a little more. "Risai," he said.  
  
"Taban?" she asked. Her voice was faint to him.  
  
"Risai. Sorry, but I can't help you this time."  
  
"Taban? Are you all right? You sound like you're in pain."  
  
"It's nothing, just a torture treatment by Rose. I'll live."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Yeah sis, I'm sure. Try and wake up before it's too late. You have to tell them. I have to go now. Take care."  
  
"Taban? Wait!"  
  
"Sorry...Risai." Taban couldn't focus his mind any longer and let go. He opened his eyes, a look of pain still on his face. "I have to cover this wound. I know that no one here will do it for me."  
  
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See, SEE! Rose IS psychotic. (Ha.take that spell check). She is very disturbed, as you can probably already tell. She pines after guys who don't love her and then tries to kill the person they love (loved). Well, I AM the one writing this, so I guess I could have made her normal, but I think that making her a psychopath is more fun. Now I'm rambling.  
  
I'm so mean. Don't worry. Leon and Risai will have the chance soon enough. Just wait for a few more chapters and it'll happen.  
  
JANUARY 4TH they will play the last FOUR eps of ZOIDS: GF. WATCH IT! GO To TOONAMI's wed site to find the times.  
  
Until then, Audi^.^ 


	22. Mind Control

Hi! Wanna know why I'm updating? It's my birthday! I'm finally 16 but I still act like a 12 year old. It's funny though, you know, that I act like I'm insane...and I am. Anyway, read and review, okay?  
  
Disclaimer: See first chapter.  
  
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Risai floated in the darkness again. There wasn't anyone with her now. She was alone.  
  
"Something must have happened to Taban," she said into the darkness. "I have to tell Miharu. If Taban can do it, then maybe I can too." Risai began to focus her mind, trying to find Miharu. 'I wonder if I can do this.'  
  
"Miharu?"  
  
"Risai...is that you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"But how did you...?"  
  
"Never mind, it's not important right now. I need your help. I just finished talking to Taban and he said that the Backdraft group is going to attack soon."  
  
"Are you serious?"  
  
"Yeah. I didn't get to ask anything or hear much of anything else, since he left abruptly."  
  
"He must have been woken up."  
  
"Probably, but I'm worried. I think they hurt him."  
  
"What makes you say that?"  
  
"He stopped talking for a while, and when he came back, he sounded like he was in a lot of pain. I think Rose hurt him."  
  
"She probably...wait a minute...did you say Rose?"  
  
"Yeah...why? Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you."  
  
"Tell me what?"  
  
"Rose is leading the Backdraft now."  
  
"What?! Why didn't you say anything sooner? How long have you known?"  
  
"Not too long."  
  
"How long?"  
  
"A few weeks or so."  
  
"Risai!"  
  
"I'm sorry, it's just that a lot has been happening and I didn't have time to tell you, but now you gotta wake up and tell the base about the attack. I would, but I can't wake up."  
  
"You got it. Bye."  
  
"Bye." Miharu's voice didn't come again and Risai knew she was alone.  
  
******  
  
Miharu woke up and then sat up in her bed. She looked around and then swung her legs over the side and stood up, which turned out to be a mistake. She sat right back down. Her head was spinning.  
  
"I've gotta get up," she said to herself. She stood up again and walked to the door. She opened it and then walked along the wall of the hallway. She was making her way to Bit's room, since everyone had gone there to play some games. Miharu came to it and knocked on the door.  
  
"Just a minute," said Bit from inside the room. The door soon opened and everyone in the room was shocked to see Miharu standing there.  
  
"Miharu, what are you doing out of bed?" asked Leena.  
  
"I have to tell you something. The Backdraft group will be here soon. I want all of you to head to the hanger and get in your zoids now."  
  
"But the sirens haven't sounded yet. What makes you think they'll attack?" asked Rick.  
  
"I know they will. My information comes from a very reliable source."  
  
"Which is?" asked Brad.  
  
"Taban."  
  
"Taban told you?" asked Bit in disbelief.  
  
"Yes. He told Risai and she told me. They're planning a sneak attack, but they aren't going to get the chance. I need you all to go to the hanger and get in your zoids. Do it now."  
  
"Right," they all said. They began to exit the room and then proceeded to run down the hall towards the hanger.  
  
"I hope we were in time to stop them. You better be alright Taban." Miharu began to walk towards the main command room to make the announcement.  
  
******  
  
Bit and the others ran into the hanger and then got into their zoids.  
  
"You know, this would be easier if Miharu and Risai could help out," said Jamie. "They're the commanders after all."  
  
"I know what you mean," said Mattei.  
  
"You guys worry too much, we'll be fine," said Bit.  
  
"I wouldn't be so sure," said Leon.  
  
"Let's go," said Leena. They all took their zoids out and began to head towards the battlefield area. They scanned the area.  
  
"Do you guys see anything?" asked Meiyuu.  
  
"No," responded Bit. They all looked around a little more, finding absolutely nothing. They weren't aware of the scanner blocks that the zoids had. They were all hidden on the cliffs.  
  
"Are you soldiers ready?" asked Rose.  
  
"Yes ma'am," they all responded.  
  
"Alright. Fire on my command." They all prepared to launch their missiles at once. "Fire!" They all released their ammo, sending it towards the nine unsuspecting warriors. The missiles hit each of them, covering them in explosions.  
  
"What's happening?" asked Bit. "Who's attacking us?"  
  
"Who do you think?" asked Rick.  
  
"Where are they?" asked Leena. They looked to the cliffs and found the enemy zoids. They were Rev Raptors, all painted black. There was also the menacing dragon zoid, piloted by Rose.  
  
"The dragon must be the leader," said Naomi.  
  
"I'm more than just a leader," came Rose's voice over the com-link. "I'm the general of the Backdraft army."  
  
"The General?" they all asked in shock.  
  
"That's right. Without those agents, you're nothing. They are your commanders, are they not?"  
  
"We can fight without them," said Bit.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Then lets see how you deal with my secret weapon."  
  
"Secret weapon?" asked Leena.  
  
"That's right. Unfortunately it has to get here first. Until then, you can play with my army."  
  
"Exactly who are you and how did you know that Miharu and Risai weren't going to battle?" asked Naomi. Rose smirked, even though they couldn't see her, since only her voice came through the com-link.  
  
"I know because I'm one of them. I'm Rose Lamant, pilot of the Ryujin."  
  
"Rose?" asked Jamie. "That's the name of one of the agents. You can't be her; it's impossible. The report says that Rose died."  
  
"No, it says that I disappeared, but I'm back now and I'll show you no mercy." Rose turned off the com-link and smiled. "All units...attack!" All the Rev Raptors charged forward towards the nine warriors. The battle had begun. In the distance, the ZBC warriors began to move out of the base and head towards the battlefield. Rose and the Ryujin were still on top of the cliff. "I think this is a good time to bring out my secret weapon," said Rose to herself. She reached into her pocket and removed the Ryu gem.  
  
******  
  
Risai was still standing in the darkness.  
  
"I hope everything's going alright. I did my best. I wish I could be out there." She then straitened and closed her eyes. She grabbed her head with her hands. A screeching sound could be heard. It echoed throughout the darkness and was too high to tolerate. She had her hands placed over her ears. "What's happening?"  
  
She received no answer. Suddenly, images began to flash in the darkness and in her mind. She saw a picture of her mom and dad, then one of her and Taban when they were younger. The next image was Rose and Toran, when they were good a long time ago and fought for the ZBC. The next was of her and Rainer, sitting on the roof of a large building. Another appeared right after and it was of her and her Genosaurer. She then saw herself holding Rainer's limp body in her arms. The next was when Toran had captured her during the war. After that was when she fought against the Blitz team. The next was of her brother and Miharu standing with her. The next was of her in a town with some kids playing in the street. Another flashed in front of her, which was of her sitting on the roof of the Blitz team's base. It then flashed again and Leon was added to the previous picture. It flashed again and it was of Leon and her in the pool alone. Another flash and a picture of Leon and her sleeping on his bed appeared. In the next one, Leon was holding her as she cried. The next flash was of her in her Genosaurer, about to fire on the red Blade Liger. The last was of Rose, a smirk on her face.  
  
Risai's flashes ended and she was left in the darkness, the sound still there.  
  
"Stop it. Stay out of my mind." The sound continued. "No more!" Darkness then consumed her, the sound ended, and there was nothing but darkness.  
  
******  
  
Risai was lying on a bed in the lab area that doubled as a medical area. Her eyes then opened and she sat up. She had a blank look on her face, her eyes displaying nothing. They were empty, and so was she. Risai swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. She walked to the door and opened it, and then walked into the hallway. The base was quiet, since almost everyone was fighting outside. She made her way through the halls and went to the hanger of the base. She walked to her Genosaurer and then climbed into the cockpit. It sprung to life and then ran out of the hanger. It ran away from the base and towards the battlefield. It ran up a cliff and continued along it. After a while, the battle came into view, along with the Ryujin. Rose turned upon hearing the Genosaurer approach.  
  
"Good, you've come," said Rose. The Genosaurer stopped, but Risai didn't say anything. "You will wait until I give you the command, do you understand?" There was no response, but the Genosaurer did turn to face the battle. Rose smiled. 'This will be interesting.' Rose turned on her com-link. "All soldiers fall back," she said. The way the battle had been was that the Blitz team, Fluegel team, and Fire Star team had stayed near the cliff to fight half of the forces, while the other ZBC soldiers had stayed near the base to fight off the other half of the enemy. Rose called back only the ones fighting the Blitz team. They rescaled the cliff and stopped once they reached the top.  
  
"What's going on?" asked Bit.  
  
"I don't know, but something tells me it isn't good," answered Brad.  
  
"It's time," said Rose, her voice coming through on their com-links.  
  
"Time for what?" asked Leena.  
  
"My secret weapon." They watched the Ryujin and all of them went into shock as none other than the Genosaurer walked up beside it.  
  
"Risai," said Leon. "What's going on?"  
  
"That's Risai's zoid!" exclaimed Bit. "What are you doing with it?"  
  
"You fool, don't you get it? Risai is the only one who can pilot that zoid and now she's willing to fight all of you."  
  
"Impossible," said Rick.  
  
"So it was you," said Bit. "You're the one who's been doing this to Risai."  
  
"That's right. I own a Ryu gem, and it's been helping me a lot. I've already taken care of Miharu and now it's your turn."  
  
"Wait." They all turned and looked to the sky. They saw the Phoenix fly by and then land near them.  
  
"Miharu, what are you doing? You're in no condition to pilot a zoid," said Meiyuu.  
  
"I know, but you have to understand something. This is a war, and in a war there are rules. One of them is that you have to protect what you are defending, no matter what the cost and no matter who is standing in your way. What I'm trying to say is that even though it may be hard, we have to take out Risai."  
  
"Are you serious?" asked Leena in shock. "You want us to kill her?"  
  
"If it's necessary, then yes. There isn't any other way. Unless her mind can break the Ryu gem's hold on her, I'm afraid there's no way to save her, not this time. She'll fight until we're all gone."  
  
"That's right Miharu," said Rose, her voice full of amusement. "She will keep fighting, and you wanna know what'll happen when she defeats all of you?" They were all silent, waiting for a response. Rose smiled. "I'll kill her as well."  
  
"What?"  
  
"That's right. I'll kill her, so you loose either way. Protect your pathetic base until the end; whether it's your lives or hers, it makes no difference to me. She'll die either way. Her mind is too weak; I made sure of that. She won't snap out of it this time, and that pathetic fool Taban can't help her, I guarantee it."  
  
"What have you done to Taban?"  
  
"Wouldn't you like to know. I'll tell you one thing, though. He's a lot of fun to torture, not to mention he's so cute when he's angry...and even more so when he's in pain."  
  
"You stay away from him."  
  
"Make me. Taban can't help Risai to break the hold I have on her and that's all I care about."  
  
"Risai is stronger than that. She won't give in to you without putting up a fight."  
  
"I'm aware of that. It's time." Rose turned her com-link off and then turned on a new one. "Risai. I want you to kill every last one of them. Go now." The Genosaurer roared and jumped from the summit, landing in front of all of their zoids. It gave another roar and then charged for them. Rose smiled wickedly.  
  
"So it begins."  
  
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Well now wasn't that fun? This is.kinda far from over...well...I'm not exactly sure how much longer this fic will be. Anyway, go read UNCIVIL WAR. It'll help you understand stuff.  
  
Uncivil War deals with the following:  
  
It'll introduce you to Rainer and how he met Risai, Taban, and Miharu.  
  
It'll explain the war that lasted 100 years, but only the important parts.  
  
It'll explain more about agents and how they came to be.  
  
Shows more about Rose and Toran.  
  
Um.I think that's about it. It will be more humorous than my other fics, believe me. And it will have a strong, romantic plot.  
  
REVIEW! Audi^.^ 


	23. Battle of the Minds

*Sigh* No one ever listens to me, so I'm just not gonna talk.  
  
Disclaimer: See first chapter. Like anyone reads this either. *sigh*  
  
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The Genosaurer launched forward. The first thing it did was bite down hard on the neck of the Phoenix. The zoid cried out in pain.  
  
"Strike Laser Claw!" yelled Bit. The Liger Zero knocked the Genosaurer away from Miharu's zoid.  
  
"Thanks," said Miharu.  
  
"No problem." The Genosaurer stood up straight and roared in anger, and then charged again. They all dodged the attack. The Genosaurer spun around quickly and began to charge its cannon.  
  
"We have to attack now," said Jamie. They all fired their arsenals at once, trying to stop the Genosaurer. The Genosaurer simply put up its shield, deflecting all the shots.  
  
"Darn it," said Miharu. The beam fired, but they all managed to get out of the way. "There's no choice. If we stay together, she'll kill us all."  
  
"What do you propose we do?" asked Naomi.  
  
"Split up."  
  
"What?" they all asked in disbelief.  
  
"But shouldn't we stick together?" asked Bit. "Isn't that how we beat her the first time?"  
  
"It may be, but there's no other choice." She dodged a charge from the Genosaurer. "We have to split up. She can't get to all of us at once. If she kills us all, she'll die anyway. If we can just freeze her zoid, then we wont have to kill her."  
  
"So we're gonna split up?" asked Leena.  
  
"Yes. The next time she charges for us, split up. Each of you go a separate way, got it?"  
  
"Yep," said everyone.  
  
"Where's the 'yes ma'am'?"  
  
"Uh..." There were other murmurs as well.  
  
"Just kidding. Here she comes." The Genosaurer charged again. "Okay you guys. Split!" The zoids all ran in opposite directions, spreading out along the canyon walls. Some headed outwards towards the desert. The Genosaurer stopped and glanced around, as if trying to decide what to do. Up on the cliff, Rose was watching everything. She smiled.  
  
"I was hoping they'd try something like this," she said to herself. She opened a com-link with Risai. 'This is going to be so fun. I'll get to watch as Risai destroys her friends, and I know just who to start with.' "Risai. I want you to go after the red Blade Liger." Risai nodded and then the screen went black. "This I have to see." Rose turned her Ryujin around and began to follow Risai, who was heading in the direction that Leon had gone in. "You men. Go and keep the others busy. I don't want them to interfere in my fun."  
  
"Yes ma'am." The other soldiers ran down the cliff wall in their Rev Raptors and spread out to attack the other escaping zoids.  
  
******  
  
Risai was floating in the darkness, not knowing what to do. She could barely keep hold onto her mind. Many different memories were running through her head and she wasn't sure which were real anymore.  
  
"Who am I?" she asked herself. "What am I doing here?"  
  
A picture of her father flashed in her mind. His stone cold face was glaring at her.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
Another flashed through her mind. It was of her mother, her face displaying anger. A young Risai sat at her feet, a broken vase in front of her.  
  
"Why are you angry?"  
  
Another was of Taban, running to catch up with his friends, leaving Risai standing alone on the porch.  
  
"Why'd you leave me?"  
  
The next was of Miharu and Taban when they were younger. They were riding their bikes while Risai watched from her second floor window.  
  
"Was I always lonely?" Another thought came to her. "I am lonely. No one...I have no one. Nobody loves me. I'm...all...alone."  
  
That's right said Rose. You are alone...and you always will be. Just keep thinking that  
  
******  
  
Rose smiled as she followed the Genosaurer from up above on the cliff. The canyon was beginning to get narrow and both sides were rising higher. There were many rocks that the Genosaurer effortlessly jumped over.  
  
"As long as I can keep Risai under my control, everything will be perfect. There's no way she can break my hold if I keep suppressing her memories, making her see only the hard ones." She began to laugh. "This is so perfect. You will suffer Risai, just as I have." Just a little ways up, she saw the Blade Liger.  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
Leon was walking through the canyon, not really knowing where he wanted to go. His Blade Liger jumped over the rocks that were blocking his way. The canyon walls were high above him. He wasn't paying much attention to his surroundings. He was too deep in thought to care.  
  
"Protect what you are defending," he said, echoing Miharu's words. "What do you do if what you're trying to protect is what's preventing you from defending it?" Suddenly, the rock behind him exploded, pushing his zoid back a little. He whirled around and was now face to face with Risai and her Genosaurer. The zoid roared loudly and then stood there. It didn't even move. "What's going on?" asked Leon. He heard the rocks shift and looked up to see the Ryujin. The sinister dragon zoid roared loudly.  
  
"Well hello Leon," she said. She had opened a com-link with him, but only her voice came through. "So nice to see you."  
  
"What do you want?" he asked, his voice as cold as ice.  
  
"Wow, I never would have thought you could sound so threatening. You're usually so calm."  
  
"You don't know me."  
  
"And right now, neither does she, and as long as I have control over her, she'll never remember you. You want to know something interesting? I went through all of her memories, all of her thoughts. I had to, in order to get control over her. You know, half of her memories were or different people, or places, but the other half was all of you."  
  
"Me?"  
  
"Yeah, you. She thinks about you a lot. She really likes you...and now she'll destroy you, since I know there's no way you'd ever risk hurting her." Rose changed com-links. "Risai, attack him now. Don't let him get away." Risai nodded and the Genosaurer roared again. It then charged towards the red Blade Liger, which made no attempt to move out of the way. The Blade Liger was knocked over and the Genosaurer stood over it, roaring in victory. Leon brought up a com-link with Risai. A picture of her appeared on his screen. She looked the same, but her eyes were empty of all emotion.  
  
"Risai, you have to listen to me," he said. She didn't seem to hear him, and if she did, she didn't show it. He wasn't about to give up hope though. "Please, Risai. Don't do this. I know you better than you think. I know you're stronger than this. Your mind, you heart, your soul, none of them are weak. You can win this. Just try." There was no change on her face. Rose began to laugh.  
  
"Oh brother, you really think you can break the hold I have on her? Forget it. No matter what you may think, her mind is too weak."  
  
"Shut up!" he yelled. He then turned his attention back to Risai, who had her guns aimed at the cockpit. "Risai, come on. Look at me. You have to remember something besides pain. Come on Risai; think back. Remember all the time we spent together. Think!"  
  
******  
  
Risai felt nothing in her mind but pain. Her heart was crying out, completely unaware of what was happening. Rose still had control over her memories.  
  
No one loves you Risai. You're alone, so what's the point of going on?  
  
"What's the point of going on," she echoed. Rose's words were beginning to sink in.  
  
No one cares about you, not even Leon. He would rather have you die. He thinks of you as nothing more than a burden. He's also done nothing but cause you more pain. He brings back painful memories. He's not worth it  
  
"He brings only...pain."  
  
"Risai!" shouted Leon. Risai straightened, her mind finally starting to focus.  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
Don't stray from me  
  
"That voice...was it..."  
  
NO. Do NOT listen to him. He brings nothing but pain  
  
"...Leon. It was you."  
  
"Risai. Come back."  
  
Don't listen to him!  
  
"I need you Risai. Please come back. Try to remember."  
  
"Leon." Risai thought back, digging into the depths of her mind. She remembered the night at the dance. She remembered how good it felt too. She thought back to when he had held her as she cried. The look on his face was more than enough for her. Risai smiled inwardly.  
  
Don't listen to him!  
  
"Goodbye...Rose."  
  
******  
  
The Genosaurer was ready to fire the guns, but then stopped moving completely.  
  
"No!" screamed Rose. The Ryu gem in her hand flickered with its glow. "This wasn't supposed to happen."  
  
"Risai?" questioned Leon. He looked to the screen that showed the inside of the cockpit. Risai was holding her head in her hands. It looked like she was in pain.  
  
"Make it stop," she said quietly.  
  
"You will listen to me, Risai!" yelled Rose, trying to regain her control over the younger agent.  
  
"No, I refuse. I won't hurt any one. You can't control me."  
  
"Fine then. I'll just have to destroy you," she said in an inaudible voice. She focused completely on the Ryu stone in her hand. It began to glow brightly. Risai screamed out in pain.  
  
"Stop it!" yelled Leon. He turned to look at the Ryujin as it roared loudly. The Genosaurer seemed to respond. It jumped up onto a higher rock and ran up the cliff and next to the Ryujin, which began to run off, back towards where they had started. Leon got his Blade Liger up and began to follow. The Genosaurer was following Rose, which didn't make sense to him.  
  
"All units fall back to the cliff."  
  
"Roger." They eventually made it back to where this battle had started. The Ryujin stopped and so did the Genosaurer. Leon reached the open area where they had all split up. He kept his eyes on the Genosaurer and the Ryujin. Just then, a ton of Rev Raptors came back to the cliff and climbed up, rejoining their leader. Not long after, the zoids belonging to Bit and Leena came back, followed by Brad and Naomi. Soon enough, the ten of them were back in the opening, looking up at the enemy zoids.  
  
"What's going on?" asked Bit, completely confused. Rose sighed and opened her cockpit. She stood up, her long black hair flowing in the slight breeze. She then turned to look at the Genosaurer.  
  
"Get out here, now!" she yelled to Risai. Amazingly, the cockpit opened and Risai came out, but she stumbled as she landed. Her head was pounding. She walked over to Rose, who glared at her. "I see you're still partially under my control, but this has to end." She grabbed Risai and began to pull her towards the edge of the cliff, which was a long way down from the ground. The three teams, including Miharu, all opened their cockpits and stood up, watching. Rose stood behind Risai and pulled out a handgun. Risai sighed. She looked down at all of them and smiled.  
  
"I'm sorry for everything I did to you. I'm sorry for hurting you. Please forgive me." She looked at all of them and her eyes landed on Leon. "Thank you, Leon. It was your voice that let me escape. I really owe you one."  
  
"Aint this touching," said Rose. "I wouldn't have to do this if it weren't for him." Risai turned to look at Rose.  
  
"I escaped because I have friends who care about me. And I also have a brother who looks out for me. Even though he couldn't call out to me, I could feel his presence in my mind. He helped me out more than you'll ever know. No matter what you do, he'll always find a way to mess up your plans."  
  
"Shut up!" Rose was loosing her patience. Risai turned back to her friends and smiled.  
  
"Thank you. Thank you for everything." Risai closed her eyes as a gunshot echoed through the canyon. The bullet passed right through Risai's stomach. She arched her back at the impact and stumbled forward. She lost consciousness and fell from the cliff's summit.  
  
"Risai!" they all yelled, but not at the same time. The Genosaurer roared as it saw its master fall from the cliff. She was still falling. Leon quickly took the controls of his zoid and moved it towards the cliff. He had to get under her. 'I have to make it!' his mind was screaming. He watched as she fell further. He pushed his zoid to its full speed and got under her. He stood up and tried to judge where he needed to stand. He got out and ran to the top of his zoid's head. He reached out in time to catch her, but he was knocked off of his zoid. Both of them hit the ground, Leon being the first. Everyone else ran over to them. Leon slowly sat up, Risai still in his arms.  
  
"Leon!" yelled Leena. "Are you alright?"  
  
"I'm fine, but..." He looked back to Risai, who was barely breathing. Miharu bent down and checked for a pulse. She gave a sigh of relief when she found one.  
  
"Good. She's still alive, but we have to do something fast." Miharu tried to stand up, but a wave of dizziness overtook her, forcing her back to the ground.  
  
"Are you alright?" asked Meiyuu.  
  
"I'm fine, just dizzy. We have to help Risai." Miharu looked around and then looked up at Rose, who was standing on the edge of the cliff, her gun in one hand and the Ryu gem in the other. Miharu then got an idea.  
  
"Hey, Rick," she said. He walked over to her.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I need you to do something. It's important."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I need you to shoot the Ryu gem out of Rose's hand so that we can use it on Risai."  
  
"Why not just shoot her instead?"  
  
"Because if we kill her now, we'll never know where the base is. I only want the Ryu gem."  
  
"Are you insane?" he asked. "I can't shoot something that small from this distance."  
  
"Please, Rick. At least try to. This is important. You're the best shot here."  
  
"I know that, but I can't even see it."  
  
"It's in her right hand."  
  
"Fine, I'll try. Hey Bit, you've got good eyes. Help me out here."  
  
"Okay." Bit and Rick ran out towards the open area. Rick pulled out his handgun and aimed it at Rose.  
  
"Do you see the gem?"  
  
"Yeah. It's right there."  
  
"Here?"  
  
"Yeah! Now fire!"  
  
"Here goes nothing." Rick pulled the trigger on his gun and the bullet was sent flying up towards Rose. It hit her hand and she was knocked back, but she also dropped the Ryu gem, sending it down to the bottom of the cliff. Bit ran out and grabbed it before it hit the bottom. He then ran over to where Miharu was. He handed her the stone.  
  
"Thank you," she said. She quickly placed it near Risai and it started to glow. After a while, her injury began to heal, and it was soon hard to tell it was ever there.  
  
"Why didn't we have time to take her to the base?" asked Leena.  
  
"Because she wouldn't have made it."  
  
"Why? She's seen worse, right?"  
  
"Right, but right now, her mind has been weakened, making her body weak as well."  
  
"Oh," they all said. Risai moaned slightly and then shifted in Leon's arms. He looked down at her and Risai slowly opened her eyes. It took a while for her eyes to adjust, but she eventually was able to focus.  
  
"Leon?" she asked, almost in a dazed voice.  
  
"Yeah. You okay?" She only nodded. Meanwhile, Rose was standing looking down on them, the anger clearly written on her face. She seemed ready to explode. (A/N Okay, I know I said that I don't swear and I've never put one swear word in anything I've written, but Rose is just the type who would. It's not like it's that big of a thing anyway.) The soldiers on the mountain seemed afraid as they backed away slowly.  
  
"DAMN YOU!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "I'll get you, all of you, starting with that jerk, Taban! This is all his fault!"  
  
"What?" asked everyone but Risai, who just stared at Rose, her eyes wide.  
  
"No!" she yelled. "Don't touch him!"  
  
"I'll do whatever I want with him, so stay out of it! And don't think you're safe yet, Risai. Once I get another stone, I'll be back for you!" Rose turned and got into her zoid. "All units, retreat back to the base now!" She was still angry. The Backdraft forces all began to disappear as they headed off to their desert base.  
  
"No!" yelled Risai. She stood up and was going to run after them if she had to. She was stopped by Leon when he reached up and grabbed her wrist. He then stood up from his spot on the ground. Risai tried to pull away. "Let me go! I have to go after them!"  
  
"They'll kill you if they catch you."  
  
"Then I won't let them catch me!"  
  
"I'm not letting you go."  
  
"You have to! I have to save my brother! I have to! Let go!" Leon still didn't loosen his grip. Risai stopped struggling and closed her eyes tightly. Leon released her wrist and she fell to her knees, sobbing. 'Taban...please be alright.'  
  
**************************************************************************** ********************  
  
Wow...I was actually able to fill a whole chapter with this part. Amazing...not that you guys are reading this right now, but go read Uncivil War anyway, okay? Audi^.^ 


	24. The Long Night

Yeah, yeah, I know. It's been a while. I don't care though. I've been busy with a ton of random things. New semester of school, new classes, a new video game, and, oh yeah, MY HARDRIVE CRASHED! Well, partially. It's so annoying. Lucky for me, my writing wasn't deleted. But this is a sign that my hardrive is failing, meaning I'm gonna have to put everything I have onto disks and fast. Onward!  
  
Disclaimer: See first chapter.  
  
**************************************************************************** ********************  
  
Everyone was back at the base now. The battle was over and everything became normal again, well, as normal as it could get. It was late at night, but not many felt like sleeping. In the lab area, the doctors and the scientists were all working hard at their computers. In the waiting area, the Blitz team, Fluegel team, Fire Star team, and Miharu all stood, waiting. A scientist walked into the room and approached them.  
  
"We'll begin soon," he said. They all nodded. "Are you sure you want to let her go through with this? The Ryu stone shattered, right?"  
  
"Yes, but Rose mentioned that she had another," said Miharu.  
  
"As you wish. I can't promise anything though. This isn't an easy procedure. One wrong move and she'll end up in a coma."  
  
"We trust you. We know you'll be careful with her." The man nodded and then walked back into the room.  
  
"What now?" asked Naomi.  
  
"We wait."  
  
******  
  
Risai floated in complete nothingness. She could hear sounds all around her, but she could see nothing. Taban wouldn't come to her that night. He couldn't. She was going under the procedure. She wasn't allowed to do anything or think anything. It was almost as if being dead. She still felt something though. It was a tinge of fear. Rose was going to hurt Taban, maybe even kill him, and there was nothing Risai could do about it. She felt helpless. She also thought of something else. If Rose activated the pulse while she was under the procedure, she would die. There was nothing else to it. She would die.  
  
Risai didn't want to die, not yet. She still had so much left to do with her life. She couldn't die. She promised, and she planned to keep that promise. If it had been to anyone else, maybe she wouldn't take it so seriously, but this was Leon. He didn't want her to die, and the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him, but she knew that it would happen sooner or later. Both of them would get hurt, and neither could do a thing to prevent it. That's what happens when you love someone you can't be with.  
  
******  
  
Rose stopped her Ryujin in the hanger of her base. She jumped out of the cockpit and then proceeded to walk towards the halls, a scowl on her face. The soldiers backed out of her way as she came through. They were all afraid of what the Backdraft general would do and were happy that they weren't her target right now. They began to feel sorry for Taban. Rose continued down the halls and went down a stairwell to arrive at the prison cells. She stopped at Taban's and looked in to find him lying on his bed, on his back. He was laughing.  
  
"How was the battle, Rose? I guess not everything went according to your plan." Rose was completely overtaken with anger.  
  
"Shut up!" she yelled. She quickly used her key and threw open the door, walking over to him. She pulled out her gun and Taban sat up, only to find himself looking down a gun barrel. He just smiled.  
  
"I already told you; death doesn't faze me."  
  
"I know, but I've decided you're more trouble than you're worth."  
  
"Is that so?"  
  
"Stop acting so calm!"  
  
"I'm not afraid to die, you know. I've already said this. So do it. Kill me." Rose just stood, keeping Taban at gunpoint. "What's wrong? Are you afraid?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Then do it." Rose shook a little, trying to bring herself to kill him, but then smirked and lowered her gun. She then shook her head.  
  
"No, you'd like that too much. I have a better way. I hope you like bleeding, Taban, because that cut in your chest won't be treated anytime soon. I'll be back again later." She turned and headed out of the prison cell. Taban sighed in relief. He had always been good at mind games.  
  
"Good, she left, but she will be back. I just need a little more time." He lied back down on his bed and fell asleep easily.  
  
******  
  
An hour had passed by and some of the people at the base had gone to sleep. The three teams left the lab area, since the procedure would take all night to complete. Miharu was taken back to the medical vicinity so she could get some much-needed sleep. Everyone else just wandered the base, finding ways to keep themselves entertained. Leena was walking down the hall, heading back towards her room. Meiyuu came up behind her and they began to walk together.  
  
"I never got the chance to ask, but how are you and Bit doing?"  
  
"Relationship wise?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Great. Everything's perfect. Why?" Meiyuu didn't say anything, but she did avert her gaze and picked the floor to stare at. "What's wrong? Is everything alright with you and Rick?" Meiyuu just shook her head sadly.  
  
"It seems like every time we're about to get really close, he pulls away."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"You should go talk to him. I think he went back to his room and Mattei went with him."  
  
"Alright."  
  
"Good luck Meiyuu."  
  
"Thanks." Meiyuu turned around and left, heading down the hall and towards Rick's room.  
  
******  
  
Rick was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He had about a million different thoughts running through his mind. His little brother, Mattei, was sitting on the floor, putting together a jigsaw puzzle that Rick never finished.  
  
"Hey, Mattei?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I want you to promise me something."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Don't...don't ever turn out...like dad, alright?"  
  
"Rick, what are you talking about?"  
  
"I don't want you to turn out like dad." There was a subject they didn't talk about much. Rick had been thinking a lot about his family lately. Ever since that day a year ago when they defeated the Backdraft and met the Blitz team, he had been thinking mostly about his father. (A/N read Broken Flame to understand more about this. Please. It's not that long of a fic. If you don't want to, that's okay. I guess it doesn't really matter.)  
  
"I won't, okay? But why are you bringing this up?"  
  
"I don't know. I guess I'm afraid, that's all."  
  
"Afraid?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Of what?"  
  
"Of turning out like dad."  
  
"Come on Rick, you're too nice. You'd never turn out like him."  
  
"I can't help worrying though. The last thing I want is to hurt you and Meiyuu."  
  
"You know, Meiyuu really loves you."  
  
"I'm aware of that."  
  
"And I know you love her, so why do you keep pulling away? Is it really because you're afraid of hurting her?"  
  
"...Yeah." He rolled onto his side, his back to Mattei. "Ever since dad died, I've been afraid of turning out like him. It's my fault for what happened that day. It's my fault that mom died. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't...if I hadn't..."  
  
"Killed him."  
  
"Yeah. I still have his gun. The same gun that killed mom and then killed him. They say that kids who have been...abused or have seen a parent be abused have a better chance of doing it themselves."  
  
"But you're different."  
  
"I'm only 18. Who knows what I'll be like when I'm older. I don't want to take that risk."  
  
"You don't have to be like that. You're different from dad. Why do I always end up giving you advice anyway? You're supposed to do that." He heard a small laugh come from his brother. Mattei smiled, happy that he had accomplished something. "I'm gonna go back to my room now. Goodnight."  
  
"Goodnight." Rick heard the door open and close. He turned back over onto his back and stared at the ceiling. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. "Come in." The door opened and shut.  
  
"Hi Rick," said Meiyuu, her voice kind of quiet. Rick sat up and smiled.  
  
"Hi Meiyuu," he said. He had the same cheerful tone in his voice as he usually did, but Meiyuu wasn't smiling. This didn't go unnoticed. "Is something wrong?" She nodded her head once and looked at him.  
  
"I...I want an explanation...please."  
  
"An explanation?"  
  
"Why, Rick?" She walked over and sat down next to him. "Don't you...don't you love me...anymore?"  
  
"What?" He was shocked at this. He looked right at her. Meiyuu had tears brimming in her eyes. He suddenly felt bad and sympathetic. His smile had faded long before. "Meiyuu, I don't understand. What do you mean?"  
  
"You've been so distant lately. Why?"  
  
"Well..."  
  
"You promised. You promised that you'd always be there when I needed you. Well, I need you now, Rick, and you haven't been there for me."  
  
"Meiyuu, I..."  
  
"At least give me a reason."  
  
"I'm afraid, okay?" he said a little louder than he meant to. Meiyuu looked at him, confusion clearly on her face.  
  
"You're afraid?" Rick's head was down. He didn't want to meet her gaze. "Of what?"  
  
"I'm afraid...afraid of becoming like my father."  
  
"Your father?"  
  
"Yeah. You knew him. You know about what he did. I don't think I could live with myself if I ever hurt you."  
  
"Rick..." Meiyuu reached out and hugged him. "You are nothing like your father. The only similarity is the way you look. Nothing else. You're the nicest person I've ever met. I trust you Rick. I know you won't hurt me."  
  
"Meiyuu...I...I can't. I don't want to risk it. What if I do hurt you? Dad never realized he was doing it until it was too late. What if..."  
  
"No one can predict the future. You don't know what will happen and neither do I, but I'm willing to risk it all. I just want to be with you. I'll stay with you, no matter what."  
  
"You promise?" Meiyuu laughed slightly. He sounded like a child.  
  
"Yeah, I promise." Rick smiled and returned her embrace.  
  
"Thanks Mei."  
  
"No problem. It's late. I should get to bed." Rick let go of Meiyuu and she stood up. She walked towards the door. "Goodnight, Rick."  
  
"See ya in the morning." Meiyuu opened the door, a smile on her face. She left the room, shutting the door behind her.  
  
**************************************************************************** ********************  
  
Ah, that felt good. I don't know why. It just did. I love happy romantic stuff. The next chapter will be good, trust me. I know something you don't know. Let's just say it's something you guys may have been waiting for. Care to guess?  
  
I'll write more soon.  
  
And go read Uncivil War, chapter 3, if you haven't already.  
  
Does anyone know if the AOL server thing is better yet? You know, with getting on fanfiction? Just curious. Audi^.^ 


	25. What I Want

I guess I should apologize for taking so long. I'm really, really sorry, but I've been caught up in my own little world for the past few weeks. I've been hooked on Inu Yasha and I just didn't feel motivated to write, and to tell ya the truth, I still don't. I'm going to anyway, since I feel like crap right now. Maybe this'll get my mind offa things for a while.  
  
And as for the special moment, it is something you guys have been waiting for. This is probably my favorite chapter out of this whole fic. WARNING: This is a LONG chapter, and I mean long, so please read it, okay?  
  
Disclaimer: See first chapter.  
  
**************************************************************************** ********************  
  
Morning rolled around quickly and the people in the base were finally crawling out of bed. However, 11 people were already up, dressed, and waiting by the laboratory area of the base. They sat in chairs in the waiting vicinity, doing what most do there: waiting. Finally, a scientist came out, a clip board in his hand. He had a smile on his face.  
  
"Good news. Everything's fine. The procedure went smoothly and she'll be up in a few hours." Everyone sighed in relief. Risai was going to be okay.  
  
"That's a relief," said Miharu.  
  
"You still shouldn't be up," said the scientist.  
  
"I know, but I had to make sure she was alright."  
  
"Well, she is. Like I said, she'll be asleep for a few more hours, so you can all leave now. We'll notify you when she wakes up."  
  
"Thanks." Miharu turned and began to head back to the medical vicinity. Everyone else left to do their own things as well. Basically, they all went to fix up their zoids. There had been a lot of battles lately and they were getting slightly sick of it. Every time they battled, more and more people got hurt. At least now they wouldn't have to worry about Risai being their enemy. While fixing his Blade Liger, Leon decided that he would go an see Risai after he was done, whether she was awake or not. He just needed to know if she was all right. He had to confirm it with his own eyes.  
  
******  
  
Risai was lounging peacefully in the black abyss of her dream realm. It was so calm and she felt completely light hearted. It was painless, like a strong anesthetic. A smile graced her face as she floated in the darkness.  
  
"Good to see you're alright, sis," said Taban. Risai opened her eyes, the smile never leaving her face.  
  
"Hello Taban. It's good to hear from you. I thought something might have happened to you."  
  
"I'm fine. I should be the one who's worried. You just went through a major operation."  
  
"Yeah, but I'm fine. It's not like they had to cut me or anything. It wasn't really an operation, I guess."  
  
"Yeah, but still, you could have died."  
  
"But I didn't." Her smile only broadened. "It feels good to know I'm alive."  
  
"I'll bet it does."  
  
"Taban, where are you?"  
  
"I'm at the Backdraft's main base. You already knew that."  
  
"I know, but where is it?"  
  
"I don't really know. I haven't been able to get outside to pinpoint my exact location."  
  
"Just stay safe, okay? We'll get you out soon, I promise."  
  
"Thanks Risai. By the way-" His voice was cut off again.  
  
"Taban?" asked Risai, but she received no answer. "Oh no, not again." Her smile was gone and her face was full of worry. 'Please be alright Taban.'  
  
******  
  
Taban was awoken by the sound of an explosion. He sat up and looked around. Another sound came. They weren't explosions but crashes. Taban looked around and then listened. It was silent, but not for long.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?!" yelled Rose. Her voice was much quieter than it would have been if she were in the hallway. Taban guessed that she must have been in the hanger.  
  
"You told me to bring in my zoid!" yelled a male voice. Taban straightened at the voice. It was familiar and he was having a hard time believing that the voice belonged to who he was thinking of. He could hear footsteps coming up the stairs and then down the hall.  
  
"Can you believe that guy?" asked one of the soldiers.  
  
"What is he thinking?"  
  
"He must purposely tick off Rose. He probably does it to get a rise out of her."  
  
"Probably. You would never be able to guess he was one of our spies."  
  
"At least he's smart enough not to try and flirt with Rose."  
  
"You got a point there." Taban could no longer hear their conversation, since they turned the corner. 'Who could they be talking about? That man...his voice is so familiar...I know I've heard it before.' Just then, two more sets of footsteps could be heard. Taban looked up and into the hallway. Just as he expected, Rose walked up to the bars.  
  
"Hello Taban. How are you feeling?" Her voice dripped with false concern. Taban just glared at her, his eyes cold and full of hate. Rose just smiled. "I have someone here who wants to meet you." A man stepped out of the shadows and Taban was able to see the owner of the familiar voice. He was wearing a uniform from the ZBC...the uniform of a Colonel.  
  
"Garner," said Taban, with both shock and ice in his voice.  
  
"Surprised?" asked Garner.  
  
"But you're...you're suppose to be..." Taban's eyes became cold again. "You traitor." Garner simply laughed.  
  
"I've been working with the Backdraft since day one. I'm surprised you didn't know that. You never did like me, Taban. Oh, and by the way, Risai is doing great. She's as beautiful as ever."  
  
"Shut up, you lecherous traitor," said Taban, the hate hanging heavy on his voice.  
  
"It's time to put our plan into action," said Rose.  
  
"What plan?" asked Taban, his gaze shifting to Rose.  
  
"It's not something that concerns you.but it does concern Risai."  
  
"Leave her alone!"  
  
"I'm sorry, but we can't do that. She has to die. With all these attacks, the ZBC is weakening. They'll be unable to defend themselves soon. But then again, our plan doesn't involve a battle."  
  
"What then?"  
  
"Like I'd tell you. See ya around, Taban." Rose left, followed by Garner. Taban shifted his gaze to the ground and cursed to himself. 'This can't be good.'  
  
******  
  
"Risai," said Rose. Risai's head snapped up and she looked around the darkness.  
  
"W-who's there?"  
  
"You know who this is." Risai's eyes grew cold and her expression was full of anger.  
  
"Rose! What did you do to Taban?"  
  
"Nothing...yet."  
  
"You better not hurt him."  
  
"I wouldn't dream of it." Her voice was heavy with sarcasm. "I have a proposition for you."  
  
"Oh? What is it?" she asked, not really interested.  
  
"If you want to see your brother alive, then you better accept." This got her attention.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"At 2000 hours, I want you to come to the desert near the cliff on the battlefield. You have to come alone and don't bring your zoid."  
  
"...Why should I accept?"  
  
"Because if you don't, Taban will die."  
  
"..."  
  
"I'll take your silence as a yes. You better follow all the rules, or I'll make sure your brother doesn't see the light of another day." Risai remained silent. She knew Rose was already gone, but there was still nothing she could do. She had to accept. She wasn't going to lose her brother again.  
  
******  
  
Risai's eyes opened slowly, taking in what was around her. She was in the lab room she had been staying in for the past few days. The familiar sound of the brain wave machine was the only noise in the room. Her eyes slowly focused on the clock on the wall. It was already 6:00pm. She had slept for over half the day.  
  
"Good to see you're awake."  
  
A small smile crossed Risai's face. She knew who the voice belonged to and turned her head to come face to face with Leon. "How do you feel?" he asked.  
  
"Fine."  
  
"That's good. The scientists here said you could leave as soon as you were awake. You might want to fix up your zoid." Risai cringed inwardly.  
  
"Yeah, of course," she responded. She knew what she had to do tonight and she hated it. She would be sneaking out of the base on her own, and she wasn't sure what would happen. Risai slowly stood up and walked to the door.  
  
"What about you?" asked Risai. She looked over Leon. He had a few scratches and cuts from the recent battle.  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"Sorry. I didn't mean to."  
  
"I know." He just smiled, causing Risai to do the same. She opened the door and both of them walked out. Leon headed towards his room and Risai walked to the garage to fix her zoid. She looked to the ground as she walked. 'Just two hours.' The wait was going to seem like an eternity.  
  
******  
  
It was 7:55pm and Risai was sitting in a now empty garage. She jumped down from her now finished zoid and walked to the door at the far end. She opened it slowly and was about to leave, when she heard a familiar roar come from her zoid. She turned her head and smiled.  
  
"I'll be fine," she reassured her partner. "I'll only be gone for a while." Her voice must have been dripping with dishonesty, since the Genosaurer roared once again. "Please be quiet. I'm leaving. And if I don't come back, tell Miharu I'm sorry." Risai walked out the door, not wanting any more protests from her zoid. She walked quietly, her hands behind her back and her head down, deep in thought. 'Is this really a good idea? She said she'd kill Taban if I didn't come. I hope she doesn't find out I came armed, but I couldn't risk it. Not now. This could be a trap.' She arrived at the place and just stood there, waiting. She glanced around. 'Yep, this has to be a trap.'  
  
"Hello, Risai," came Rose's voice. Risai looked up at the cliff and there was Rose, and her Ryujin right behind her. "I'm glad you could make it."  
  
"Where's Taban?" asked Risai, her voice angry.  
  
"Just wait. I want to show you something else first." Rose smiled her trademark smile. Another zoid came, but this one wasn't on the cliff. Instead, it approached from the canyon below. It was a Dark Horn, painted a midnight blue. Risai's eyes went wide upon seeing it.  
  
"But that's..."  
  
"Hello Risai," said the pilot. The cockpit opened and out jumped a very familiar colonel.  
  
"Garner."  
  
"In the flesh." He smirked.  
  
"But...you..." She was at a loss for words. Her eyes became hard. "Traitor." He simply laughed.  
  
"That may be, but it doesn't matter now. No one will ever find out."  
  
"What?" asked Risai, surprise evident in her voice.  
  
"Just like he said," answered Rose. "Did you really think we'd bring Taban with us? You're so gullible." Risai reached to her side where she kept her gun, but was stopped by a bullet shot that hit near her. Her hand dropped back to her side.  
  
"Tsk, tsk, I thought I told you to come unarmed. You're such a naughty little girl." Risai shot Rose a death glare, but she wasn't very threatening. The situation seemed hopeless for her. Rose smiled and got back into her zoid. She maneuvered the guns on its back and aimed for Risai. Her finger slowly began to push the trigger.  
  
******  
  
The group entered the hanger, looking for Risai. The room was dark and her zoid was nicely polished, but there was no sign of her.  
  
"Where is she?" asked Bit. "We've looked almost everywhere." Risai's Genosaurer stood motionless, wishing it could tell them where he friend had gone, but it would sound like nothing more than a simple roar to their ears. However, there was a roar that filled the room, but it wasn't from the Genosaurer. Everyone turned to face the Liger Zero.  
  
"What's that Liger?" asked Bit. Liger roared again, as if speaking in a sentence. Bit listened intently. His eyes then widened. "She said that?" asked Bit, shock in his voice.  
  
"What?" asked Leena. Bit turned to face them.  
  
"Liger said that Risai left a while ago. She said she was going somewhere and that's she'd be gone for a while. She also said to tell you, Miharu, that she's sorry, if she doesn't come back."  
  
"Why wouldn't she come back?" asked Jamie.  
  
"I don't know. I guess she didn't say."  
  
"Come on," said Miharu. She walked over to the door and walked out. "Let's follow her." Everyone nodded and they all ran out the door.  
  
******  
  
The gun went off, but Risai managed to dodge to the side, using her gun to hit the shell, knocking it slightly off course. It hit the ground and exploded. Risai was on the ground, covering her head as gravel rained down onto her. She quickly got up and ran to a nearby rock, but a bullet shot by her feet stopped her dead in her tracks. She turned to Garner, who had his gun pointed at her. He kept her at gunpoint and slowly walked towards her. Risai just stood still, not wanting to get shot.  
  
"Why?" she asked him. He didn't answer. "Why did you do this? Why did you betray us?"  
  
"You sound as if you care." He smirked.  
  
"You swore allegiance to the ZBC. Of course I care. I won't forgive a traitor."  
  
"I never really was on your side. I've been with the Backdraft for years now." He was now only a foot or so away from her. He quickly knocked her gun out of her hand and it went flying. He kept her at gunpoint. He just stared at her for a while. "You were always a pretty one, Risai. Please don't take this personally." He flipped his gun and struck her with it. The force knocked her to the ground, a red mark forming on her face.  
  
"Move Garner," ordered Rose, as she repositioned her gun. Garner moved out of the way and Risai stood up just in time to dodge another gunshot. However, the explosion caused even more gravel to fly at her, and this time she didn't escape unscathed. Her black jacket was ripped up and there was a cut on the side of her face. She quickly stood up and dusted off her clothes. She had to get her gun, so she made a run for it, but was stopped by Garner, who punched her in the stomach, causing her to fall to her knees. She cautiously stood up; her posture was less than perfect.  
  
"I expected more from an agent," said Garner. Risai glared at him, her eyes full of ice. She quickly discarded her jacket, revealing another gun on her side. She grabbed it quickly and aimed it at Garner. Her hands shook slightly.  
  
"Drop your weapon," she said. Her eyes told him not to mess with her. Garner smiled and put down his gun. His smile never left his face. He laughed slightly.  
  
"What's so funny?"  
  
"That." Just then, the sound of a gun shell piercing through the air could be heard. Garner jumped out of the way and Risai jumped the other, but wasn't in time. The explosion happened close by this time and ruble from the ground lashed out at her, cutting her right arm up. She cried out in pain as the crimson blood stained the ground she lied on. She had dropped her second gun. Now she was completely unarmed. Garner once again approached her. He looked down at her scared form. She was trying to cover her arm. Garner just smiled as he kicked her in the side, causing her to roll over onto her stomach. She cried out in pain again. He began to laugh, as did Rose. She sat smugly in her cockpit. Just then, some stray fire came her way, knocking her unprepared zoid over. She cursed under her breath and looked towards the ZBC base. In the air was the Phoenix. Rose got her zoid back up and turned around.  
  
"I'm leaving this to you, Garner," she said. And with that, she left the summit. Garner smiled and stood over Risai. He lifted his leg and brought his foot down on her back, causing Risai to cry out in more pain. He didn't notice the 9 people who were running towards him. He then kicked her away to the side. Risai didn't even bother to fight back. She was still conscious, but she was lost in her own thoughts. This all seemed so pointless. Her form began to shake. Half was from fear and half was from helplessness. She felt completely helpless as she lied on the ground. The nine figures stopped as they reached the area within 3 yards of Risai. Their eyes all landed on Garner, who seemed pleased with his work. Miharu landed her zoid and jumped out. She was the first to break her shock of who she was now facing.  
  
"Garner," she said, a little shocked, yet also angry.  
  
"Hello, Miharu," he said, a false sweetness in his voice. He pulled out his gun again, aiming it at Risai. "It's a true pity you'll have to witness this, but I can't let Rose down." Just then, his gun was knocked out of his hand by the bullet of another gun. Leon had his gun out, now aiming at the colonel, who had his hands up. Rick then began to approach Garner.  
  
"You are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Gee, I've always wanted to say that," he said. Bit and Brad then ran over and put the colonel in a hold, making sure he wouldn't be able to get out. Leon was the first one to make it over to Risai. He looked her over. Her cerulean hair was dusty and was covering her face. There was a small pool of blood around her from her arm. Leon carefully turned her over so that she was on her back. Her eyes were open and full of emotion. She just stared at him as he slipped his arms under her and carefully lifted her off the ground. Risai turned her face towards his chest, not wanting anyone to see her. She gripped his shirt as if she was holding on for dear life. Leon turned and began to sprint back to the base. Everyone just watched him as he left, not sure what to think of this. They were all a little surprised, but most of them understood exactly what was going on. They then all turned and began to walk back to the base, each remaining in their own thoughts.  
  
******  
  
It was mostly dark in the base, since the sun had set. Everyone was extremely quiet that night. No one was even walking the halls. Leon sat in his room with a first aid kit resting on his bed. Risai was sitting next to it. Leon was just finishing up the bandages on her arm. After finishing, he sat down next to her, closing the first aid kit and shoving it under his bed. They both just sat there, in silence for a while.  
  
"Thank you," said Risai, her voice barely above a whisper.  
  
"Don't mention it," responded Leon. "Are you sure you're okay?"  
  
"Yes." Her voice was still quiet. So many thoughts were running through her mind. She was having a hard time sorting them out.  
  
"What made you go out there?" asked Leon.  
  
"She said she would hurt Taban if I didn't come."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"I'm sorry. I put myself in danger again and I could have ended up putting all of you in danger as well. I'm so sorry."  
  
"It's alright."  
  
"No, it's not." Risai clenched her fists. "I should have been able to handle them. I'm an agent. I should be stronger." Tears began to well up in her eyes. "I'm so helpless...I'm so...worthless." Her tears began to fall down her cheeks, landing on her clenched hands. Leon just stared at her. Risai was shaking slightly. That was exactly how she felt. She felt worthless, and nothing Leon could say would make her feel any different. Her eyes were tightly closed, but they suddenly opened as she felt a hand on her cheek. She stopped sobbing and shaking. She turned her head to face Leon. He had his hand on her cheek and was wiping away her tears with his thumb. Risai wasn't sure how to react, so she just stared at him, her expression slightly shocked. He just looked at her, his face very calm and caring.  
  
"You are not worthless," he said in a soothing voice. Then, slowly, he began to move towards her. Risai's mind was racing. 'Oh God, is he going to...to...?' He was still moving closer; the space between them was shrinking. 'No! He can't. I can't let him. I'm not allowed to. He'll just get hurt.' She stopped her thoughts for a second. 'But I...I...' The gap between them was no more than an inch.  
  
'...I really want to.' And with that last thought, Risai closed her eyes and met him the rest of the way. They connected in a passionate kiss. Risai moved her arms and rested her hands on Leon's shoulders. Leon moved his arms and wrapped them around her waist, pulling her closer to him. After a while, they broke the kiss, but remained in the same position. Risai gave a small smile, and then rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes. Leon pulled her onto his lap so that she could rest comfortably. Risai allowed herself to drift off into a peaceful sleep, and for the first time in months, she felt safe. No more words were said that night, since there didn't seem to be any need for them.  
  
**************************************************************************** ********************  
  
That felt good! I hope this makes up for not writing for a month. Wasn't that sweet? And for all you people who have your minds in the gutter, this is NOT a LEMON. I don't like lemons very much and could never bring myself to write one. My mind doesn't work like that.  
  
And I'm sorry for spelling and grammar mistakes. If I made a big one, please inform me and I'll make sure to go back and fix it. Thanks.  
  
Anyway, for those of you who watch Inu Yasha, please email me! I need people to talk to about it and I have fanfic ideas. For a hint as to what they will be about, go read the happy little Inu Yasha section in my bio. I took the 'What Inu character are you?' test. I bet you guys will never guess who I got. ME! I'm happy about my results, though. I'm actually overly happy. Well, until I write again. REVIEW!  
  
Audi^.^ 


	26. Sweet Misery

I'm so, so sorry!  I honestly didn't mean for it to take this long.  Please forgive me.  I hope you haven't forgotten me either.  I've just been so caught up with school and watching Inuyasha and other anime, along with writing two new fics and finishing Best Forgotten Past.  So I apologize majorly.  I didn't mean to take so long.

Disclaimer:  I'm listening to "Key of Twilight"!  What does this have to do with a disclaimer?  Honestly, I don't know.  Oh well.  I don't own Zoids.  And I don't own the song "I could fall in love".  When I heard this song, I thought that it fit perfectly with the love story between Risai and Leon.  Kind of like a sweet misery^.^

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(Intro music)

Risai's eyes slowly opened.  She caught a glimpse of sunlight through the window of the room.  'Sunlight?' she thought to herself.  'Is it morning already?'  A soft smile was on her face as she took in the sights of the room she was in.  She realized she was lying down on a bed and there were arms around her, protectively.  She faced Leon, her smile fading.  She remembered what happened last night.  'Leon…'  She thought it over and then began to move away from him, making sure not to awaken him.  'I have to get out of here.  Sorry, Leon.'  She got up and left quietly, shutting the door behind her.  She proceeded to run down the hall, heading back towards her own room.  She had to sort out her thoughts.  She eventually reached her room and she quickly went in, shutting the door behind her.  

(I could lose my heart tonight

If you don't turn and walk away

'Cause the way I feel I might

Lose control and let you stay)

She leaned against it and then slid down it, so she was sitting on the floor.  Her arms came up and folded around her knees.  'I can't do this,' she thought to herself as she lowered her head to rest it on her knees.  'I can't do this anymore.'  An idea then came to her.  'I need to talk to Miharu.'  She got up and quickly left her room.  She ran down the halls until she came to her fellow commander's office room.  She busted through the door, not surprised to see that Miharu was already up and sitting behind her desk.  The red head looked up and smiled at her visitor.

"Good morning, Risai," she said.  "What brings you here?"  Risai didn't say anything.  She just walked up to Miharu's desk and slammed her hands down on it.  "Risai?"

"I need to tell you something Miharu, and please don't yell at me."

"Alright.  What is it?

"I think…I'm…"

"Well?"

"I…love Leon."  Miharu just stared at her blankly for a while until finally sighing and closing her eyes.  She stood up and faced Risai.

"Risai…you know that you…"

"I know.  I'm not supposed to, but I do.  I can't help it.  I love him."

"How do you know, I mean, you love Taban too.  Maybe you love him like that."

"I would never kiss Taban," Risai said, half mumbling it.

"You kissed Leon?!"

"No!"  Miharu sighed in relief.  "He kissed me…but I sort of helped."  Miharu stared strait at her, a look of shock on her face.

"Risai, you know the rules."

"You said you wouldn't get mad."

"I'm not mad, just frustrated."  Miharu breathed in deep to calm herself.  "Look Risai," she started, much more calmly than before.  "You can't keep this up.  You know that the rules state that you can't be with him."

"I know, but I can't help it.  I'm sorry."

"Risai, you know that you…you have to…"

"I know what I have to do, but it's not what I want to do," stated Risai, putting emphasis on the words "have" and "want".

"You can't be selfish.  If this continues, you'll only end up hurting him more than you're about to.  It can never work out, you know that."

"Yes, but…"

"Risai."

"I know, but it won't be easy.  I don't want to hurt him."

"I know, but this is how it has to be.  We live in a different world than they do.  It can never work."  

('Cause I could take you in my arms

And never let you go)

Risai just nodded solemnly and began to head towards the door.  She opened it and then slowly closed it behind her.  Miharu sighed to herself and then sat back down.  "I wish you were here, Taban.  You would know what to say, you always do."  She paused and looked around her room.  There were pictures everywhere.  "Poor Risai.  I wish this didn't have to happen, but we're agents.  We decided our own fates, and now we have to deal with the sacrifices we made.  After about 200 years of living, we're all finally falling apart.  I'm just too tired of all of this.  When will it end?"  She got no response from the empty room.  She just closed her eyes and leaned back against her chair.  After opening them, she looked out the window that was behind her.  It was bright outside, but it was also raining.  A small smile crossed her face.  'I love days like this.  They always remind me of us… sweet misery.'  The sun and the water began to paint a beautiful rainbow in the sky.  Miharu sighed inwardly.  'Taban…I hope you're all right.  What are you doing right now?'

******

(I could fall in love…with you

I could fall in love…with you)

Taban sat alone in his cell, thinking.  He was sitting up, despite the pain in his chest.  He watched as the rain came down on a sunny day.  It was beautiful, yet so very sad at the same time.  Like smiling while you cry.  He fell back against the wall and closed his eyes, listening to the sound of the rainfall.  His serenity was soon destroyed as a very ticked off Rose entered the hallway.  She stomped down the halls and stopped at his cell.  Taban just kept his eyes closed and smirked.

"What's wrong, Rose?" he asked; a cocky tone accompanied his voice.  Rose just growled lowly, her eyes glaring.

"This is all your fault!" she screamed at him.  "I can't even get into Risai's mind anymore.  You did something!"

"Come now, Rose.  You know that I don't have that kind of power."

"Shut up!  I'm sick of you!"

"Are you going to try and kill me again?"

"Third time's the charm, right?"

"Whatever.  I know you won't.  It's kind of sad though.  You only took one hostage, and I'm more of a nuisance than an asset, right?"  Rose didn't respond; she just glared at him.  Taban finally opened his eyes and looked over to Rose.  His smirk only widened at seeing her seething expression.

"That's it," said Rose.  She reached to her side and removed her pistol, pointing it between the bars at Taban.  "I'm sick of you."  And with that, she pulled the trigger.  The gun fired and Taban closed his eyes.  However, he didn't feel anything.  He opened his eyes and glanced just to his left.  There, in the wall and smoking, was the bullet.  It was only a few centimeters from his head.  

"That was a warning," said Rose.  "And this…"  She fired the gun again, but aimed it lower.  Taban cried out as the bullet pierced his leg.  He quickly covered the hole with his hands.  "…this was for pissing me off."  She then put her gun back and walked away, leaving Taban with his wounds.  He had his eyes closed, trying to ignore the pain.  'I didn't think she'd actually shoot me.'  He soon opened his eyes, still wincing from the pain.  He then looked to the bullet in the wall.  He took it out and examined it.  Afterwards, he gave out a relieved sigh.  "Good thing these are disintegrating bullets, otherwise I'd be in trouble."  He turned his attention back to the sky.  'I hope I can get out of here…alive, that is.'  The sky was displaying a beautiful rainbow now, and Taban couldn't help but stare at it.  'Sweet misery…just like our lives.  Miharu…stay safe.  I promise I'll see you again.  I'll stay alive, if only for you.'

******

(I could only wonder how

Touching you would make me feel

But if I take that chance right now

Tomorrow will you want me still)

It was mid day now and still raining.  The sun, however, still shone bright in the sky, piercing the rain clouds and painting the sky.  Everyone was up by now and relaxing.  No one had seen Risai, since she was spending the day in her room.  If she didn't see Leon, she wouldn't have to hurt him.  This was all she could do, but she knew she couldn't hide forever.

Leon, on the other hand, was very happy.  More so than usual, that is.  He wore a smile on his face and everyone seemed to notice his suddenly overwhelming cheerfulness.  Unfortunately, no one knew what he was happy about and none of them felt like asking him.  They all just watched him as he went about the day.  Miharu remained quiet.  She knew and didn't want to mention anything.  She knew what would happen to both Leon and Risai, and she was afraid of the thought.  This was a pain that no one was able to deal with easily.

Leon began to head down the hallway, trying to find Risai.  There was something he wanted to tell her.  Meanwhile, Risai was still in her room, but she decided to just do this.  It had to happen sooner or later, and the sooner it happened, the less it would hurt.  Or, at least, she hoped that's how it would work.  She got up from her bed and walked to her door.  After opening it and walking out, she proceeded to search for Leon.  Her head was hung low as she thought about what she had to do.  'It's for the best,' she kept telling herself, but the other half of her mind disagreed.

(So I should keep this to myself

And never let you know)

Suddenly, she found him.  He had just turned the corner.  Risai kept her head low and winced when she saw Leon's smile.  She really didn't want to do this.

"Risai," he called out to her.  She loved how he called out her name.  "I've been looking for you.  There's something I want to tell you."

"Yeah…same here," she said quietly.  They were now standing only about a foot apart.  Risai still had her head hung low so that Leon couldn't see her eyes.

"Well then, you go first."  Risai took in a deep breath.  She didn't want to say this and didn't want to do this, but she had no choice.

"Leon…I…I hate you," she said slightly low, but loud enough for him to hear.  He just stared at her, shocked.

"What?" he asked, unbelievingly.

"You heard me.  I hate you, Leon."

"But, I don't think…"

"Don't you get it?  I can't love you Leon; I don't want to."  That was a lie.  She would have given anything to be with him, but she just couldn't.  'This is for the best.'

"Risai…"

"I hate you!  Can't you see that?  I can't be with you, ever!  So just leave me alone!"

"Come on Risai, you don't think…"  

(I could fall in love…with you

I could fall in love…with you)

Leon was cut off as a hand connected with the side of his face.  Leon was wide eyed.  He reached up and touched his cheek, right where he'd been hit.  He then turned to look at Risai, who was standing in the same pose she was in after she had slapped him.  Her head was down and he wasn't able to see her face.

"Leon, I hate you.  And that's all there is to it."  She quickly whirled around and ran off, heading back for her room, leaving a dumbfounded Leon.  Risai had tears flowing down her cheeks and she wasn't about to let anyone, especially Leon, see them.  She kept running and ran right to her room.  She burst through the door and ran over to her bed, collapsing on it instantly.  She just lied there and cried.  'It's for the best.'  She just had to keep telling herself that and it would all go away, right?  'This is for the best.'

******

(And I know it's not right

And I guess I should try

To do what I should do

But I could fall in love with you

I could fall in love…with you)

The day seemed to pass by slowly.  Risai was staying in her room and Leon was staying mostly in his.  He would walk around a little, but something was different.  He seemed hurt, or maybe angry.  It was hard to tell.  Nobody bothered asking about it, though.  Leena had questioned him, but hadn't gotten any response from him.

"Bit, something's wrong with Leon," said Leena.

"Yeah, I know.  He was fine this morning, but now he seems depressed."

"I wonder what could have happened."  Miharu stood by, just listening.  She knew.  She didn't plan on telling them, but she knew.  'I guess this day is exactly the same in everyway…nothing but painful happiness.  I wish I could do something for them, but I can't.'

"I'm sure Leon will be fine," encouraged Bit.  He placed his arm around Leena's shoulders in a comforting way.

"Yeah…I sure hope so."  Both of them walked off, leaving Miharu leaning against the wall.  She eventually pushed off and began to head back to her office.  Suddenly, a soldier turned the corner, nearly running into her.  He backed up and saluted.

"Sorry, commander," he said.

"It's fine."

"I'm here to tell you that General Charles Jordan would like to talk to you."

"General Jordan?"

"Yes.  Please report to his office, ASAP.  That's all."

"Alright.  Tell him I'll be right there."  The soldier nodded and then left, returning to the General's office.  'I wonder what Charles wants with me?  It's been a while since I've seen him.  I hope everything's alright back at headquarters.'  Miharu shrugged it off and began to head towards the General's office.

******

(-Spanish solo-)

Risai was still lying on her bed, not wanting to get up.  She felt horrible, but she had, at least, stopped crying.  She was deep in thought about what was going on.  She hadn't looked at Leon once when she was talking to him, because if she had, she wouldn't have been able to go through with it.  She then heard footsteps coming down the hallway.  She sat up on her bed and then got off of it, making her way towards the door.  She looked out through the crack and watched as Leon walked by, heading down the hall.  Risai sighed from depression.  'Leon.  I'm so sorry.  I don't want you to be mad at me.  I still want to be around you.'  After much thinking, it didn't take her long to decide what she should do.  'He at least deserves an explanation.'  She opened the door and ran down the hall to catch up with him.  Eventually, she found him, still walking.

(So I should keep this to myself

And never let you know)

"Leon," she called after him, stopping after she turned the corner.  He paused, but then kept walking.  "Please, wait."  He still wouldn't stop.  "Leon, don't go.  You promised me, remember?"  He stopped walking, but refused to turn around and face her.  "You promised that you would always be you.  And the Leon I know wouldn't walk away when someone was trying to talk to him."  Her voice must have seemed desperate, because he slowly turned around to face her.  The look in his eyes pained her more than anything.

"Leon, I'm…I'm sorry I hit you," she said.

"Is that all you wanted to say?"  He had a sharp tone to his voice, which made her wince.  'Okay, I deserve that, but…'  She didn't finish her thought before Leon spoke again.  "If it is, I'll be leaving."  He was about to turn away, but Risai didn't want him to leave.

"Leon, please.  Don't walk away from me."  Tears were beginning to build up in her eyes.  Leon was still looking at her.  Risai slowly approached him, her head down.  She didn't want him to see that she was crying.  She stopped when she was only about a foot away from him.

(I could fall in love…with you

I could fall in love…with you)

"Leon…"  She walked the last foot and pressed herself against him, burying her face in his shirt.  "I'm sorry."  She began to cry into him, but he just stood there.  She wasn't expecting anything from him, but at least he wasn't leaving.  And so, she kept talking.

"I never wanted to hurt you.  Please believe me.  You need to understand that I can't love you.  I owe every fiber of my being to the ZBC.  I'm not allowed to be with anyone…who isn't like me.  I'm sorry, Leon.  Believe me when I say that I'd give anything to be with you, but I can't.  I never wanted to hurt you.  I'm an agent, Leon.  I can't die.  I'll live until someone kills me, which may be a few days from now, or a couple hundred years from now.  I don't know and neither does anyone else.  I'll always be like this and I have to work for the ZBC.  I owe them everything.  I'm so sorry.  Because of my selfishness, I hurt you."  She buried her face even further into him.  "And even though I can't be with you, I still want to be near you.  But I guess it doesn't matter.  You must hate me."  Suddenly, Risai felt a pair of strong arms embrace her.  She was pulled into a tight and loving hug by Leon.

(I could fall in love….

I could fall in love….with you

I could fall…fall in love…with you)

"I could never hate you," he said as he held onto her.

"I'm sorry, but I can't…"

"Don't worry, I understand."  'But that doesn't mean I'll stop loving you,' he thought to himself.

"Thank you."  They broke their embrace and began to head down the hallway, side by side.

"Hey!" shouted Miharu from behind them.  They both turned around and watched as she ran up to them.  She was breathing hard.  "Come on, let's go."

"Go where?" asked Risai.

"To the General's office."

"What for?"

"We have a plan.  We're going to get Taban back."

************************************************************************************************

Wow.  What a long chapter.  But I guess it was good since I haven't written in, like, forever.  I'm really sorry about that.  I hope you liked this chapter.  It took me a long time to write this, but then again, I was kinda messing around all day by watching TV, music videos, and reading fanfiction…including mine. *sweatdrops*  Yeah, I'm sad.  I already know that.

Well, sorry for the long wait.  Actually, this fic won't be much longer.  Maybe 5 or 6 more chapters.

And for Inuyasha fans, please check out my Inuyasha fic.

Anyway, that's all.

Audi^.^


	27. The Plan and a Black Rose

Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry!!!  Is that enough apologies?  I never meant for it to take this long, but I got so caught up in everything else I was doing and lost track of time, and before I knew it, it was already summer, and it had been a few months since the last update, and I wasn't able to write as much during my day, and…*passes out from not breathing between sentences*

I'm okay now.  Did I mention I was sorry?

Anyway, happy Independence Day!  He's a present!

Disclaimer:  Broke…broke…broke!  I'm broke!  I own nothing.  I do not own Zoids.

************************************************************************************************************************

Miharu led Risai and Leon down the halls and into a huge command room.  Everyone was already there, and it seemed that they were talking about something.  There were many computers and one main monitor in the middle.  It was huge.  Once Miharu walked in with Leon and Risai, everyone was quiet.  Miharu just smiled.

"Well, shall we get started?" she asked with a pinch of humor in her voice.  She remembered back to a year ago when they had made a plan to fight against Toran.  Everything had gone well, but the plan looked like a suicide mission.  The small smile she wore faded when she realized that Taban wouldn't be there to yell at them when they made fun of the plan.  It just wouldn't be the same without him, but that's why they were doing this.  They had to get him back from their enemy, and hopefully do some damage to the Backdraft while they were at it.  Everyone began to gather around the main screen in the room as Miharu got on a control panel and began to bring up data.  A layout of the desert was soon brought up.

"Alright, now, pay attention, because this is important.  Our base is here," she said, showing it with a small blue dot.  "And this base is theirs."  A small red dot appeared on the screen.  "It's quite a long distance, so we'll have to be careful with our planning.  We can't afford any mistakes this time."

"Is this going to be another suicide mission?" asked Rick, which earned him a glare from Miharu.

"No," she said simply.  "This plan was created by myself and Jamie.  Now, let's continue.  Bit and Leena, you two will infiltrate the base, disguised as Backdraft soldiers."

"Question," said Bit, causing everyone to look at him.  "How many people are going to be carrying out this plan."

"Just us," replied Jamie, who was sitting not far from him.

"So just the eleven of us?" asked Meiyuu.  Both Jamie and Miharu nodded.  The expressions on the other members' faces seemed skeptical.  This would be another suicide mission.  Why couldn't things just be easy for them, just once?

"Well, let's continue," said Miharu, breaking the silence.  She pointed to the screen.  "Risai and Leon.  You two will be the prisoners."

"Come again?" said Risai.  "I'm no prisoner."

"It's all part of the plan.  Just listen, all right?  This is no time to be picky," said Miharu.  She then cleared her throat and spoke again.  "You two will be thrown in the prison and from there, you'll locate Taban.  Once you've found him, notify Bit and Leena.  They'll break all of you out and then you'll all come back to where we'll be stationed.  We're going to be close to the outside of the enemy's base.  This is going to be our last battle.  We're going to end the war."

"Sounds good," said Rick.  "So what do you want the rest of us to do?"

"You will wait until Taban is out.  By then, the enemy will have realized what we're up to.  They'll attack full force, so we'll fight back.  We can't afford any mistakes this time.  It all has to go perfectly."

"Understood," said Bit.  "We won't mess anything up, right Leena?"

"Right."

"Good.  We'll do this first thing in the morning.  Use this time to prepare and relax.  We won't get any breaks tomorrow.  We'll have to move quickly.  Alright?"

"Yes ma'am."  Miharu smiled.  She liked being referred to like that.

"Well, you're all dismissed," she said and they all began to leave the room.  Miharu stayed behind and then walked over to the window.  The sky was cloudy, but the sun was coming through anyways.  It was beautiful.  The rain had stopped a while ago.  'On days like this, we used to play in the rain.  Even when we were in the ZBC army, we still went out on days like this.  Amazing how time flies, ne?  I miss those days, and I miss you.  Please stay safe.  You'll be back here soon enough.'

******

"Hey Bit?" asked Leena.  Bit Cloud turned to the side and looked down at Leena.

"What is it?" he asked.  Leena didn't seem happy.  This whole day seemed slightly depressing.  'It must be the weather,' thought Bit.

"I was just thinking about a year ago."  A small smile crossed her features.  "Even though it was slightly scary and we could have died…I'm glad it happened, and I wouldn't want it any other way."  Bit smiled too.

"I agree.  It was dangerous, but we had a lot of fun last year.  That's when everything got interesting.  It's when we met Taban and Miharu, and the Fire Star team.  It was great, and I wouldn't change a thing…well…maybe some of the life threatening parts."  Leena laughed.

"Yeah…maybe just those parts."  They continued walking down the hallway and into the hanger.

"I hope this works," said Bit as he looked up at his friend, the Liger Zero.  It had been a while since he had had a real challenge.  He was ready for tomorrow.  He wanted to fight now.

"Me too.  I want this war to end."

"Same here.  And I'd like to see Taban again.  It's been too long."

"Yeah…"  They both just stood there and looked up at their zoids.  This battle wasn't going to be easy at all.  There were many enemy units, but they weren't going to back down.  They would fight to the death if they had to.  This was a war.  Sometimes there were rules, but this battle would be different.  It would be to the end.  It would decide the future of their planet.

"Leena…whatever happens tomorrow, I want you to know that I love you."  He then bent down slightly and pressed his lips to hers.  They soon broke the kiss and Leena hugged him.

"I love you too, Bit."

******

Brad and Naomi were walking side by side down the hallway.

"This is going to be it," said Naomi.

"Yeah," said Brad.  There wasn't really much for them to say.  This battle would decide their futures.  What if they died?  What if their friends died?  It would be too hard on them.

"Hey Brad?" asked Naomi.  He just looked at her, as if asking "what".  "I was thinking, you know, about this battle.  What if…we don't make it?"

"Since when have you thought about things like that?" he asked with a certain humor in his voice.

"Because it maters now.  We're going into a huge battle tomorrow with just the eleven of us.  It's possible we could all get killed."

"It was the same last year, remember?  We made it through just fine.  And we'll do it again."

"Things are different this time.  Taban was taken hostage, remember?  The Backdraft could easily use that against us."

"That's why we're breaking him out first."

"What if it doesn't work?"

"Stop asking questions like that.  Since when did you become a pessimist?  We made it through the first battle and we'll make it through this one.  The plan will work, but in order for it to work, we have to be at our best, so let's go."  Naomi stopped and watched him walk away for a while.  He eventually stopped and turned around.  "Aren't you coming?"

"Brad…thanks."  He just smiled.

"No problem."

******

"Hey Rick?"

"Yeah?

"Let's make it through this one too."  Rick looked to his companion.  She wore a smile on her face, despite the fact that they were going on another suicide mission.

"What's with the perky attitude?  I don't get you."  Meiyuu laughed slightly and walked up to him.

"It's kind of like we switched, huh?  Usually you're the one who's happy despite what's going on."

"It's just that this mission is important.  If we fail, we lose Zi.  The Backdraft will win."

"We're strong warriors, aren't we?  Everyone will make it through, you'll see."  Rick had to smile at that.  She seemed so happy.

"Meiyuu, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"When we first decided to be a team, do you remember what that guy told us?"

"By that guy, you mean Jake?"

"Of course.  Anyways, that guy told us something, remember?"  Meiyuu just stared at him oddly.  He was repeating himself and he couldn't remember Jake's name.  Yep.  This was the Rick she knew.

"Of course I remember," she responded.

"Let's follow it this time."  Meiyuu nodded and followed him down the hallway towards the hanger.  'The winds of destiny blow with the passion of fire,' recalled Meiyuu.  'It doesn't make much sense if you really think about it…but it sounds good, and it has given us confidence over the years…but…it still doesn't make sense.  What could Jake have possible meant?  Maybe he was just showing us that confidence is needed.  Maybe it doesn't mater what something means, as long as you get the overall mood of it.  I don't know…I'll figure it out later.' 

******

"It looks like history is repeating itself," said Risai as she walked down the hallway.  Leon was walking with her.

"How so?" he asked.

"About 4000 years ago, a battle was fought between the Empire and the Republic.  I'm sure more wars were fought between that time and the war between the ZBC and the Dark Blazers.  All those wars were fought because of Zi.  Each group wanted control over Zi, or more like one group did.  The other wanted to stop such a thing from happening."

"What did the ZBC want?"

"They wanted to stop the other group.  The ZBC may have a lot of power, but they aren't greedy.  They just want peace to come to the planet.  That's why I fought for them.  I wanted to protect this world from power hungry rulers."

"And now we're fighting a war that is similar to the one you fought in."

"Exactly.  It's the same type of war.  I'm going to do everything I can to win this war…" she said.  "…Even if it means my life," she whispered so Leon wouldn't hear her.  They continued walking down the halls, heading to the hanger.

******

Rose sat alone in her office, twirling a pencil with her fingers.  Her room was incredibly dark, much like herself.  She loved the dark colors.  It was why she had chosen such a color.  They had all gotten to choose what color shirt they wanted.  They all had reasons for their colors.  Rainer's blue color suited him.  It sounded like him.  He was a lot like the rain.  It could rain on a sunny day or it could rain on a cloudy day.  He was quite random.  He was sometimes like the sun on a cloudy day.  He could make anyone smile.  Toran had chosen black for his color.  It suited him.  He was a dark person, quite similar to herself.  He was her leader for a while, until he met his end.  The ZBC had defeated him last year.  It was his fate.  It seemed that everybody who stood up to the ZBC got thrown in jail.  However, she wouldn't follow him.  She would go against it all and survive this.  She was going to destroy the very thing she hated.  She would win this time.  Nothing would stand in her way.  Nothing.

Then there were her enemies.  The other agents.  Taban, the boy she had in her jail.  He was different than most of the agents.  He had will power, and a lot of it.  Most people would have succumbed to injuries such as the ones he had.  However, he wasn't about to give in.  He had a lot left to do.  His color was red, for his passion, and for another reason.  It was darker than it had been.  He had been soaked in blood before from the men he had killed.  After Rainer had died, Taban became the strongest of the agents.  Both of them had been good friends.  After Rainer had died, they all changed.  They became more serious.  There wasn't time for anything other than war.  They had to discard their emotions, but he tried to hold onto them.  Even after everything that had happened, Taban still strongly believed that emotions would save them.  Perhaps, in the end…

Rose shook her head.  Emotions other than hate and the need for revenge were worthless.  Such emotions would kill her.  Her hate drove her forward.  She wasn't about to give up now.  Risai…she had to focus on her.  The girl who had chosen green.  Green.  It was the color of life.  She wanted to have it for other reasons as well.  Her brother's eyes had been green before they had become agents.  She wanted to keep something from the past with her.  She needed a reminder.  All of them did, and that was hers.  Miharu had taken white for good reasons.  She was the most innocent and the one who had killed the least amount of people.  She was the only one who was still innocent.  Her hands hadn't been soaked in as much blood, and it was only her hands that had touched it.

Rose smiled.  Her color was a dark purple.  It was the color of deceit.  It seemed so beautiful, so innocent, but the dark shade showed betrayal.  It was a deceitful color.  She had betrayed the people she thought were her friends and had turned against the very organization that had given her such power.  She had betrayed everything she had once believed in.  Such deceit was uncommon.  It wasn't meant to be.  Another thing she had defied.  She had gone against the rules too many times.  She had broken so many and even re-broken some of them.  She wasn't about to go back now.  She would keep going.  She would keep being this person she had become, this Rose.

"Rose…" she whispered to herself.  It wasn't even her name.  It was just a name she had picked up along the way.  Her real name?  Her past life?  She didn't care any more.  There wasn't much to it.  Most of the agents didn't have parents or families, but she was exceptionally lonely.  Rose had nothing.  No siblings, and no relatives.  She was alone, and she would always be alone.  Rainer was her one hope, but he was gone now.  Taken away by Risai.  Risai…the name of the one person she truly loathed.  Risai Kamosu.  Her name itself was something interesting.  Risai, meaning pain, and Kamosu, to cause.  Her name in total?  It meant "to cause pain".  It was incredibly true.  Her father had given her that name.  It was very interesting.

Rose closed her eyes.  There wasn't much of a difference in the darkness of blindness or the darkness of her room.  She opened her eyes and stood up.  She began to make her way to the jails.  If she was bored, she could always torture Taban.  She wanted him dead anyway, but something was keeping her from killing him.  However, he had a point.  Without him, she had nothing.  Absolutely nothing.  She couldn't threaten them if she didn't have a hostage.  She kept walking and then turned a corner, heading down the stairs, into the jails.  She walked the long hall with cells on either side.  She eventually came to his.

"Hello again, Taban," she said.  The silver haired man looked up at her.  He looked horrible.  His bluish silver hair was caked with blood and dirt.  His red shirt had a few holes and gashes through it and his black over shirt was ripped in a few places.  His leg had a bullet wound in it from their last encounter.  He just glared at her through the bars.  If looks could kill, she would have died 20 times over.

"What is it now?" he asked, the venom dripping from his voice.  Rose loved the sound of hate in his voice.  The man who believed that everything would turn out in the end.  He had once told them that love would all save them.  Rose laughed inwardly.  Love?  Look where it landed her?  Heartbroken, alone, and miserable.  She had nothing but hate left.  But she didn't want any other emotions, right?  She didn't want love, hope, or dreams.  She just wanted hate and revenge.  That was all she needed.

"I've come to see how you're doing," she said with false concern.  Taban just looked away.  His kind blue eyes seemed hateful, the eyes of a demon.  Rose smiled.  That's what she wanted to see.  She wanted to see him like that.  She wanted him to be filled with hate.  She wanted to corrupt him.  It wasn't going to work, though.

"Save the lies.  Why are you really here?"

"I want you dead, Taban.  You have so many injuries…heh, you won't last long like that."

"What do you care?"

"I don't.  How about I help you along?"  She took out her gun and shot at him.  She pulled the trigger one, two…five times.  Not once did he flinch or even acknowledge her.  She hadn't even shot him.  Each shot had missed him and had only hit the wall behind him.

"Are you done yet?" he asked, the venom still dripping from his voice.  He was so cold, yet one of the most compassionate people there was.  He refused to even look at Rose.

"I was thinking, you know, about the good old days.  The days where we all fought together against the Dark Blazers.  Those were the days, ne?"  Taban didn't respond to her.  "You know, I miss those days.  We were really something, weren't we?  The six agents, the pride of the ZBC…and look now."  Her voice changed to that of one that was cold.  The voice of the real Rose.  "It all fell apart.  One of us is dead, another in jail, I'm the leader of the Backdraft, you're dying, Miharu is a commander, and Risai…"  This got a reaction out of Taban.  "Risai is in love again.  She's in love with a normal human.  She's done so much, but this tops it.  Risai.  Because of her, Rainer died.  Because of her, I left.  Because of her, I'm doing this, and because of her, you're here.  Doesn't that make you a little angry?"

"Not at all.  I don't care.  Better me than her.  And I'm glad she's in love.  It's fine by me."

"Taban…let's play a game."  He quirked an eyebrow.  "It has something to do with this machine I have…it was an invention of Rainer's, only I completed it."

"Oh?  What's this machine, and what kind of game?"

"We'll play a game called I win.  There's only one rule.  I win, and you, Taban, will end up dead.  I'll strip you of your agent abilities, and without them, you will succumb to your wounds, whether you want to or not."  Taban was shocked now.

"You…have a machine that can do that?"

"Of course.  And I plan on using it on you.  You'll die before your wounds heal.  I'll help you along the way, that's all.  Oh…"  She took out her gun again and pulled the trigger.  Taban cried out slightly as the bullet pierced his arm.  "Every time we meet, you'll get a little closer to death.  How's that?  I love this game."  Rose walked off laughing.  Causing pain was too much fun.  She would never go back to her former self.  She didn't even want to think about it.  She would never go back to being that girl.  She wasn't going to be the girl who was their friend.  The girl who was Risai's friend.  This next battle would be the end.  She would kill Risai, but not before killing her brother right in front of her eyes.  Rose gave a malicious smile.

"This will be fun," she said to herself as she walked back to her office.  She would finally do it.  The darkness would finally overcome the light.

************************************************************************************************************************

How's that?  A little inside look at Rose for ya.  The next chapter will start to really pick things up as their plan is put into action.  There aren't many chapters left in this fic.

Well, review, or I might not write any more of it.

Audi^.^


	28. Proposal

Well, once again, I'm sorry this took so long to get out.  It's been over a year now since I started this, and it still isn't done.  It's basically because I've gotten lazy.  I've been focusing on a few of my other fics, but I think I'm finally ready to work out this one.  First off, I was wrong.  There will be two more chapters after this one, because I got side tracked and realized that the next chapter will be long enough the way it is.  Combining it with this one would be a suicide chapter.  It'd be over 7,000 words and that's just too many.

Disclaimer:  I still don't own Zoids, but I do own the agents.  I love them^.^

************************************************************************************************************************

Night had come and everyone was getting ready to turn in for the day.  Rick was walking down the hall, heading towards Meiyuu's room.  He reached it and noticed that the door was open.  He walked into the doorway and knocked on the door, startling Meiyuu, who was brushing her hair.

"Hey, can I come in?" he asked with a smile.  Meiyuu also smiled.

"Sure," she said.  He walked in and Meiyuu stood up.  She moved over and sat on her bed.  Rick followed suit.  He seemed slightly nervous about something.

"Rick, is something wrong?" asked Meiyuu.

"Well, not really, but…I want to talk to you about something."

"Okay.  What is it?"

"Well, I know we've only been officially dating for about a year or so, but we've known each other since we were five.  Mei, I've always liked you.  I was just never sure how to express it."

"What are you getting at?" asked Meiyuu quietly, feeling a little nervous.

"I want to thank you for being so patient with me and for helping me through everything.  You've always believed in me and trusted me.  We've always been together and I want to stay by your side for as long as I can.  I guess what I'm trying to say is that I love you more than anything, and I would be honored if…you would marry me."  Meiyuu was speechless.  She hadn't expected this, and now that he had asked, she wasn't sure what to say.  An unspeakable excitement and joy rose within her.  She smiled at him, her eyes sparkling.  She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"Of course I'll marry you, Rick," she said happily.  Rick also smiled and hugged her back.

"Really?" he asked, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Really."

"That's great!  Oh, I have something for you."  He let go of her and reached into his pocket.  Meiyuu watched him intently, waiting to see what he had, even though she was sure she already knew.  Rick pulled out a small, black velvet box.  He opened it and showed it to Meiyuu, whose breath caught in the back of her throat.  It was a beautiful diamond ring.

"Rick…how…when?"

"Remember I said I had an errand to run this afternoon?  Well, this was it.  I've been saving the money that I got from zoid battles.  I wanted to buy a bigger one, but I didn't have quite enough."

"Rick, it's perfect."

"I'm glad you think so."  He took the ring from the box and slipped it onto her finger.  It fit perfectly.  Meiyuu smiled at her new ring and then turned to her fiancé.  She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.  When they broke the kiss, she rested her head against his chest.

"I love you, Rick."

"And I love you."  He then stood up and went to the door.  He gave her a genuine smile.  "Goodnight, Mei."

"Goodnight, Rick."  And with that, they parted ways for the night.

******

It was dark, just like it always was.  Risai was floating in the darkness once again and she absolutely hated it.

"What's going on?" she asked the darkness.  It just didn't feel the same.  Suddenly, a blinding white light flashed before her, blinding her.  She opened her eyes once it cleared and stared on in wonder.  She was watching a zoid battle between the Backdraft and their small group.  However, she could only see Bit and Leena right now.

"Risai and Leon better hurry up," said Bit.  "We can't hold them off forever."

"I know, but we have to try," said Leena.  The scene disappeared but quickly came back.  She saw the inside of the hover cargo.  Doc, Jamie, Mattei, and Miharu were inside.  They were monitoring a few things.

"How are the battles going?" asked Mattei.

"Fine for now," said Doc.

"Rick and Meiyuu are holding them off right now and Bit and Leena are moving towards the base.  Naomi and Brad and also moving up to back up Bit and Leena." said Jamie.

"They better get Taban out soon," said Miharu.  "They weren't supposed to find out about our plan until Taban was safely out."

"Our plans never go right," said Jamie.  "You should know that by now."

"I know, and that's why we're improvising," said Miharu.  "I just hope they're alright in there.  I don't see Rose yet."  The scene changed again.  It was of the inside of the base.  Risai looked out the window.  She was watching Leon, who was now in his red Blade Liger, fight off the enemy.  Rose stood behind her near the opposite wall.

"Say goodbye to your precious Leon," said Rose.  She pressed a button on her console.  Risai could only watch as a huge hybrid cannon came out from the side of the base.

"Leon!" she shouted, but he couldn't hear her.  The beam fired, hitting the Blade Liger, causing a huge explosion.  "No!!"

******

Risai shot up in her bed, a small scream leaving her mouth.  She was breathing hard.  She tried to calm herself, but she was having problems doing so.  'It's going to fail.  Our plan is going to fail.  What should I do?'  She placed her head in her hands.  'Do we save Taban?  Does…does Leon die?'  She didn't want to believe it.  'It was just a dream,' she thought to herself.  She kept repeating it, over and over, trying to calm herself down.  She felt as if her head would explode.  'It was only a dream.  This one meant nothing.  It meant absolutely nothing.  I'm just nervous about what will happen tomorrow.  That's all.  It's just my nerves.'  She eventually calmed down and her breathing returned to normal.  She fell back against her bed and closed her eyes.  'I need to get some sleep.  Tomorrow is a big day.'  And with that, she fell asleep again, returning to the darkness.  Once again, she was floating there, alone.

"What now?" she asked out loud.

"Hey sis," said Taban.

"Hey Taban," said Risai.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing.  Hey Taban, we're going to break you out tomorrow."

"Really?"

"Yeah, so hang on a little longer, alright?"

"Don't worry, Risai.  I'll make it.  However, there's something else.  Rose has this machine that she threatened to use on me."

"What kind of machine?"

"It can reverse the transformation.  It can strip us of our agent abilities.  We can be normal again."

"Are you serious?!"

"Yeah, but getting it out may be difficult.  I'm not sure how big it is, or exactly where it is.  The only way would be to trick her into taking me there."

"Just wait, Taban.  Tomorrow, we'll find out.  I've got an idea.  Hopefully, it won't mess up Miharu's plans."

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see, now won't we?"

"Yeah…hey, Taban?"

"Yeah?"

"Promise me you won't die, alright?  I know Rose has hurt you.  Have any of your wounds been treated?"

"No.  I've gotten quite a few new ones as well.  They don't treat their prisoners very well here.  Every time I see Rose, I get another injury."

"Taban, don't ever give in, alright?  Once you get back to the base, we'll treat your wounds."

"That's not what I'm getting at.  That machine can't be used on me.  The only reason I'm still alive right now is because of the strength that comes from being an agent.  My wounds can't heal properly, I've lost a lot of blood, and I'm sure a lot of my injuries are infected right now.  Risai…if Rose uses that machine on me before I'm treated, I may die before you get to me."

"Taban…"

"So please…you must hurry."

"We will, Taban…we will."

******

The next morning, everyone was getting prepared to depart for their mission.  The zoids were having one last tune up and preparations were being made.  The hover cargo was being outfitted with the proper tracking equipment.  Miharu was standing with Leon and Risai, giving them a more in depth explanation of their mission.

"Alright, pay attention, because this is important.  We won't attack until you two retrieve Taban and are safely out of the base."

"What if our plan is discovered before we get out?" asked Risai.  Her dream was replaying in her head.  She had to know.

"It won't happen," said Miharu.  "This plan will be executed very carefully.  We won't be discovered."

"But what if we are?" pushed Risai.  She had to know that Miharu had a plan for this.

"If we're discovered, then we'll have to hold off the enemy until you guys make it out.  You'll have to be prepared for a battle as well, since the base will be crawling with guards."

"So in other words, we'll need weapons," said Leon.

"Exactly."

"And where will we get them if we're prisoners?"

"I don't know.  You'll just have to find them.  This is a very precise mission.  Everything will be carried out perfectly."

"I hope you're right, Miharu," said Risai.

Meanwhile, Leena was talking to Meiyuu.

"Do you really think we can pull this off?" asked Leena.  Meiyuu seemed to be off in her own little world, but she still answered the question.

"Of course.  I know we can.  We'll all make it out of this together," she said happily.  She then got a slightly dreamy look on her face.  Leena eyed her suspiciously.

"You know, we're going into another suicide mission and it's very possible that we may die in battle, yet you don't seem to care."

"Yeah…"

"Meiyuu, what is up with you?  You seem so…happy."  Leena then noticed that Meiyuu was playing with something on her finger.  Upon looking closer, Leena saw that it was a diamond ring.  Her eyes widened.  "Meiyuu, where did you get that ring?"  Meiyuu snapped out of her little fantasy world and looked at Leena.  She then lifted her hand and looked at the ring.  Leena examined it further.

"This looks like…" began Leena.  She then looked to Meiyuu, who had a smile that stretched from ear to ear.  Leena smiled as well.  "It's an engagement ring!" said Leena happily.

"I know, isn't it great?  Rick gave it to me last night," explained Meiyuu happily.

"This is great!  So, when's the wedding?" she asked slyly.  Meiyuu just smiled.

"We're not sure yet.  We'll decide once we get through this war," said Meiyuu.  "It's hard to plan anything when we have such an important mission coming up."

"Yeah, I know what you mean.  We should probably get ready."

"Yeah, let's get to work."

Meanwhile, the guys were all repairing their zoids as well.  Rick had finished up and was watching as Meiyuu talked to Leena.  Brad jumped down from his Shadow Fox and looked at the smiling Lightning Saix pilot.

"Well, why are you so happy today?" asked Brad.  Rick quickly turned his attention to Brad.  He smiled.

"No reason," he said.

"Hey Rick," said Mattei.  "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, bro," said Rick.  "What is it?"

"Did you ask her?" he asked slyly.  Rick only smiled more and nodded.

"Ask her what?" asked Bit, walking up.  "And who's 'her'?"

"It's nothing, Bit, nothing at all," said Rick nervously, waving his hands back and forth.  "Forget you heard anything."

"Rick proposed," said Mattei.  Rick shot a threatening glare at his brother, who only smirked in response.

"Why did you say that?" asked Rick.

"Because you're too big of a wuss to do it yourself," said Mattei.  "You'd just stand there stuttering and blushing."

"I would not.  I never do that!"

"Um…yes you do," said Bit.  Rick glared at him too.

"So, you and Meiyuu are engaged.  Congratulations," said Brad, walking over.

"You heard?" questioned Rick.

"Every word.  Mattei said it loud enough.  There's only one girl you would propose to."

"So, you're finally engaged," said Bit.  "I'm happy for ya."  Rick just smiled.

"Thanks."

"So, when's the wedding?"

"I don't know yet.  Once we make it through this, we'll figure it out."

"Hey Bit!" shouted Leena.  The ultimate X pilot turned to look at the red head.  "Come here!  Miharu wants to talk to us!"

"Coming!"  He quickly ran over to where she was standing.  They both walked over to Miharu.

"Okay, it's time to explain your part in this mission.  Here are your uniforms," she said, handing them two brown colored army uniforms.  "Here are your weapons."  She handed them a pair of guns.  "And here are your badges.  Now, I want to tell you that this is important.  It's your job to get Risai and Leon into the base without anyone being suspicious.  You will bring them there and explain that you two went out patrolling and caught both of them off guard.  You took them captive and decided to bring them to Rose.  Now, Rose is the type who won't care about the details.  She'll simply be happy that you found the two of them.  She'll decide to prolong their deaths and lock them up.  That's when you two explore the base.  You'll have to know how to get out so that you can give Risai and Leon directions.  Once you help them free Taban, you'll have to go to the security room and monitor the cameras.  You'll have to be very careful, because if they're caught, it's all over.  You'll have to be careful and convincing.  I hope both of you are decent actors, because this is all going to rely on how convincing you are.  Rose has to believe that you both work for her.  With those badges, you should be fine, since we confiscated all of this from two Backdraft soldiers.  If she doesn't believe it, you'll have to improvise."

"I got it," said Bit.  "We won't let you down."

"You can count on us."

"Please, remember one thing.  The main objective here is to get Taban out.  We also hope to end the war this time, but we have to get him out, no matter what.  Don't take any stupid risks.  Everything has to be exact.  One false move, and we're all dead."

"We understand," said Leena.  "We won't mess anything up."

"To tell you the truth, it's not you I'm worried about."  Miharu stole a glance at Risai, who was talking to Naomi and Meiyuu.  It appeared they were talking about Meiyuu and her recent engagement.

"You're worried about Risai," said Bit.

"Yes, I am.  If anyone will blow this, it'll be her.  Risai will do anything to save Taban.  If our cover is blown before Taban is out, she may use herself as a distraction.  Also, she may decide to take on Rose, and if she does, she most likely won't win."

"Didn't you tell us that next to Rainer, Risai was one of the best fighters?"

"She was, but after everything that's happened, she's lost a lot of her fighting abilities.  Her mind has also been quite weakened.  The body and mind are connected, you know.  She used to be a genius when it came to battles, but Taban was the one who succeeded in outdoing Rainer.  Risai was also a great assassin, but you have to remember that Rose has been training since the day she joined the Backdraft.  Risai took a break from it all when she worked for Toran and developed her zoid piloting skills.  If she confronts Rose, the battle will be decided by three things: their sword skills, their gun skills, and their passions.  Whatever emotion is stronger at the time of the battle will decide the outcome.  Rose will be full of hate and revenge, while I'm not sure about Risai.  This is a battle of emotion.  Remember that.  Taban used to say that love would save us someday.  Now, it's time to see if he was right."

"We won't let anything go wrong, we promise," said Bit.  "It'll all run like clockwork."

"I hope you're right," said Miharu.  "I sure hope you're right."  Bit and Leena walked off to join the others.  Miharu stood there, watching all of them.  A smile came to her face.  'If anyone is going to die in this battle, it'll be me.  I'm sick of doing nothing but standing by and watching.  I was always one of the weakest of the agents.'  She clenched her fists.  'I'll prove to them that I can do this.  Risai…I won't let you risk your life this time.  I promised Taban that I wouldn't let anything happen to you.'

"Hey Risai!" called Miharu.  Risai ran over to her.

"What is it?"

"Listen, don't confront Rose, no matter what."

"Why not?"

"Because she'll kill you."

"Miharu…you should know by now.  I don't care about that.  I don't care if I die in battle.  I've lived a full life.  I've even been in love twice now.  If I die, I have no regrets."

"Risai…"

"But I understand that there are people who care about me.  I made a promise that I wouldn't die, and I don't plan on breaking that promise.  If I do confront Rose, I'll win.  Remember, no matter what happens, our main objective is to get Taban out.  I talked to him last night."

"About what?"

"He needs to be treated as soon as he's out.  His injuries are really severe right now.  He also told me about a machine that Rose has.  It can turn us back, Miharu.  We can be normal again."

"Are you serious?"

"Of course I am.  We have to get it."

"And we will.  As soon as Taban is out, we'll all bust in and find that machine.  I promise."  Risai smiled.

"Alright then.  I promise that I won't get into a battle I can't win.  You have my word."  She turned around and walked away from Miharu.  'Don't worry.  When I find Rose, I'll make sure I kill her.'

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The next chapter will be long, and I'm not just saying that.  Remember the second to last chapter of Premonition?  Yeah, it'll be longer.  It'll be their whole mission in one chapter, so be prepared for a long read.  It'll only take me a few weeks this time, I promise.  I'm a little more motivated right now.

Don't forget to review!

Bye for now^.^


	29. An End to the War

Well, here is the long awaited update by me.  I'm finally ready to slowly begin to end this story.  Yeah…that made sense.  Forgive me, I'm still finding the happy medium of my writing.  I'm slowly getting there.

This IS a long chapter, and I am NOT exaggerating.  I hope you're ready, because this is the longest fic chapter I have ever written, EVER!  I'm telling you this in advance because I refuse to break this chapter in half.  This chapter will be basically the entire mission, so be ready for it.

Disclaimer:  I do not own Zoids, but I do own my happy agents…and the not so happy ones.

Without any further adieu, here's the second to last chapter of Destined for Loneliness!

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"Well, are you ready?" asked Risai.  She, Bit, Leena, and Leon were standing in the desert just outside of the Backdraft's main base.  The hover cargo was stationed quite a ways back so that the base wouldn't detect their presence.  Bit and Leena were dressed in army uniforms for the Backdraft.  Leon and Risai were in front of them.  Their hands were handcuffed behind them and they looked as if they had been in a battle.  It was all for their plan.  This had to be convincing.

"We're ready," answered Leean, even though she wasn't sure of that statement.  One wrong move and they would all end up dead.  Slowly but steadily, they all began to walk towards the base.  Leena and Bit kept Risai and Leon at gun point, making them walk in front.

"Good luck," whispered Leon.  Bit and Leena would need it.  This part of the plan relied solely on their acting skills.  They were soon approaching the incredibly large front doors to the base where two guards stood, their shotguns in their hands.  The four ZBC warriors walked up to the doors where the guards moved in front of them.  "What are you doing back here so soon?" asked the guard.  The other noticed Risai and Leon and his eyes widened.

"You caught them?" asked the surprised guard, his voice holding his surprise and admiration.

"Yes," answered Bit emotionlessly.

"We're bringing them directly to Rose," stated Leena.  Both guards nodded and opened the doors, allowing the four of them to enter.  Bit and Leena gave small sighs of relief as they made it into the base.

"Good, we're in," said Risai, looking around.  "We need to find where Rose's room is."

"You two did well," said Leon with a small smile.

"It wasn't that hard.  Apparently, Rose really wants you two," said Leena.

"Let's go," said Bit, pressing forwards.  They all walked down the hallways, guessing as to where they needed to turn.  The hallways were dark, lit by dim lights along the ceiling.  It was just like what they had imagined.  Luckily, they made it to Rose's office.  There were two men standing outside the room, waiting.  They nodded to Bit and Leena, who nodded back.  The two men opened the door and allowed the four of them to walk in.  Rose sat at her desk, her legs crossed and on top of the counter in front of her.  She appeared to be bored.

"General," said Leena in a soldier like tone, catching Rose's attention.

"We brought you a gift," said Bit, his tone similar to Leena's.  Rose's eyes widened slightly when she saw both Risai and Leon, handcuffed and now kneeling, guns pressed to their backs.  Rose got up from her chair quickly and walked over to the two captives.  She smiled widely, her eyes showing her amusement.  Her smile turned to a smirk as she saw the look Risai was giving her.  The thing was that the younger agent didn't have to pretend.  She truly hated Rose and her expression showed it.

"Unbelievable," said Rose.  She turned to Bit and Leena.  "I'm very impressed.  How did you find them?"

"They were out in the desert," began Bit.  "It appeared that they were trying to ambush us by themselves."

"So we stopped them and brought them here," answered Leena.  They were keeping it as simple as they could and praying that Rose would buy it.  Just like Miharu said, Rose didn't care about the details.  She bent down near Risai and Leon, her smirk widening.

"Why am I not surprised?" asked Rose.  "That sounds like you, Risai.  Running off to do what you want, ignoring regulations, and then dragging down someone else with you."  She turned to Leon, who was also glaring at Rose.  He didn't like the way she was speaking to Risai.  Rose turned her full attention to Leon and noticed the look on his face.  She smirked and then reached out, cupping his chin in her hand.  She appeared to be studying him.  "My, you're even cuter up close," she told him, earning her a death glare from Risai.  Rose then leaned forward and kissed him, shocking him and the other three in the room.  It took all of Risai's will power and then some to keep her from beating the crap out of Rose right there.  She could tell that Bit and Leena were trying to restrain themselves as well.  They weren't allowed to show any hate or resentment to Rose, but it was getting hard.  Rose released Leon and then stood up, enjoying the look of pure hatred on Risai's face.  "Take them away," said Rose.  "Lock them in the prison."  Bit and Leena nodded, knowing that if they spoke, their voices would give them away, since they would be full of spite.  Bit and Leena nudged Risai and Leon with their guns, getting the two captives to their feet.  They then all turned and began walking out of the room and down the halls.  Risai's glare never left Rose once until they turned and headed down the hall.  Risai was angry now, more so than she had been for a while.  "I swear, I'll kill her if it's the last thing I do," she growled out.

"Remember what we're here for," said Leon, earning him a look from Risai.  He turned to her and noticed the sad look on her face.  He knew what it was from as well.

"It was nothing, forget it.  Everything's fine now," he told her softly.  Risai simply nodded and looked away.  It was strange.  She knew for a fact that she couldn't have Leon, but she didn't want anyone else to touch him.  She silently prayed that they would be able to get the machine Taban had mentioned.  However, the only way they would be allowed to use it would be to end the war.  They had rules and they owed their lives to the ZBC.  It was their decision to free the agents.  They all walked along silently, heading towards the prisons.  They eventually found the stairs that led down to where the cells were.  The keys were hanging near the door, so they grabbed them and then went to the cells.  There didn't appear to be anyone else down there, so Bit and Leena used the small key they had with them and removed the handcuffs from Risai and Leon.  "Let's find Taban," suggested Leena.  They began to walk down the aisle, realizing that all the cells were empty.

"What do you think happened to the other prisoners?" asked Bit.

"Maybe there weren't any," suggested Leon.

"Exactly," answered Risai.  "Rose isn't the type to take many prisoners."  They continued looking, but found every cell to be empty.  Eventually, they got to the area they were trying to find.  They looked into a cell to their lefts and saw Taban lying on his bed, seemingly asleep.  Risai broke into a small smile and ran to the bars.  "Taban!" she shouted to him.  He shifted slightly and then groaned, slowly opening his eyes.  He slowly sat up and then leaned against the wall behind him.  His vision was blurry, forcing him to squint to see anything.  He could just make out who was standing near the bars.  "Risai?" he asked, his voice sounding tired.  His sister nodded to him and he smiled.  "It's good to see you again," he said to her as he slowly stood up, holding his newly injured arm.  They all looked him over.  He looked awful.  His ankle was slightly swollen from his sprain, and his chest had a gash across it, which was still healing.  He was limping from a bullet hole he had in his chest and his arm had a hole in it as well.  He had blood all over him and his eyes showed just how tired he really was.  His once silver blue hair was now caked with dirt and blood, and his soft blue eyes were now quite dull.  However, Risai was happy to see that they still held his compassion and his hope.  He walked to the bars slowly and noticed the looks they had.  "My God…" whispered Leena, looking him over.

"What did they do to you?" asked Bit, his voice similar to how Leena's had been.

"I'll be fine, don't worry," said Taban.  He turned his eyes back to his sister, who wasn't buying it at all.  "I'm fine Risai, I promise.  It'll take a lot more than this to kill me."  Risai nodded slowly, her expression unchanging.

"We need to put the next step of our plan into action," reminded Leon.  They all nodded.  Risai moved away from the bars and allowed Bit and Leena to take over.  They were to lock up Risai and Leon for now and then wait until the others made their move.  They put Leon and Risai in separate cells, across from Taban's.

"Alright," said Bit.  "It's time to go memorize this base."  Leena nodded and the two of them walked out, hanging the keys back up.  Risai, Leon, and Taban were now alone in the prison, praying that this would all work out.

******

Off in the desert, the hover cargo was stationed nearly a mile away.  The cameras were keeping an eye on the Backdraft base.  The other eight members of this operation were sitting in the main control room, watching and waiting.  "How do you think they're doing?" asked Jamie.  Miharu shook her head.

"I'm not sure," she told him.  "I hope this works."  There was a sad tone in her voice, one of longing.

"You really miss him, don't you," stated Meiyuu.  Miharu seemed a little surprised at the sudden comment, but she realized it was hard to deny.  She simply nodded, her blue eyes seeming distant.

"I really do," she said.  "It's strange being away from him.  We've known each other for years, even before the first war started.  I've known both him and Risai since before I can remember."

"Even though you continuously deny it, do you love Taban?" asked Rick.  Miharu blushed slightly and turned away a little.

"Yes," she answered softly.  "I have for a long time, longer than any of you can possibly imagine.  But my job was to come first, and so it did.  I never told him, and now…I might not…"

"Hey," said Naomi, catching her attention.  "We'll get him out.  All of them will come out of there alive."  Suddenly, the monitor began to beep and everyone tensed up.

"What is that?" asked Mattei.  Doc quickly brought up a screen.  A Zabat was flying overhead.

"It's from the Backdraft!" he exclaimed.

"Shoot it down now!" demanded Miharu.  "We can't let it see us!"

******

The Zabat was flying through the air, scouting the area.  It soon spotted the hover cargo, its cameras zooming in on the foreign object.  "What is that?" asked the pilot.  However, he didn't have time to ponder it any longer.  One of the cannons on the hover cargo fired, taking out the zoid instantly.

At the Backdraft base, one of the men in the monitor room noticed that the camera went out.  He quickly got on a com-link with the general's office.  "General?" he called.

"What is it?" came Rose's uninterested reply.

"One of our scouts has been taken out," he told her, sparking her interest.

"Where?" she asked, "and by who?"

"I'll send you the tape."  Rose sat in her office as the screen rolled down from the ceiling.  The last video footage was sent and she saw the hover cargo in the desert.  She smirked widely.  "Apparently they've come to rescue their friends.  This will be the end for them."  She got on the link with the monitor room again.  "Turn on the sirens.  I want all men to focus on that transporter!"

The sirens began to sound throughout the base as men began to head for the hanger.  Leena and Bit were slightly confused.  "What's going on?" asked Leena.

"I'm not sure," said Bit.  Suddenly, a man passed them in the halls.  He stopped and turned to them.

"You two," he said, catching their attention.  "Get to your zoids now.  We've spotted the enemy and we've been ordered to take it out.  Move!"  The man turned and left them.  Bit and Leena were both standing in shock.  Bit clenched his fists angrily.

"They've been discovered," he growled out.

"What should we do?" asked Leena.  "We still don't know the base well enough."

Outside in the hover cargo, they all watched as zoids began to pour from the complex.  "This isn't good," shouted Miharu as she banged her fists down on the console.  "We've been discovered."

"What now?" asked Brad.  They were all focusing on Miharu, waiting for their assignment.

"We have no choice but to fight," she told them.  "We've come this far and I won't abandon them now.  We're getting them all out no matter what."  She turned to them, her eyes flashing with determination.  "Rick, Brad, Meiyuu, Naomi, get to your zoids, but stay near the hover cargo for now."  They all nodded and went to do just that.  "I want you three to stay here with me.  We need to monitor this battle and keep an eye on the base for any sign of the others.  Our main goal is to get Taban out of there.  I don't know if we'll be able to end the war today."

"Do you think we should call Bit and Leena?" asked Jamie.  Miharu nodded and quickly got on a com-link.  She had given Bit a transmitter so that they could keep in touch.

A beeping noise could be heard as Bit and Leena were making their way to the prison.  Bit reached into his pocket and pulled out his transmitter.  He pushed in the button and spoke.  "What is it?" he asked.

"There's been a change of plans," said Miharu, getting right to the point.  "You need to get them out of there now."

"But how will we lead them out?" asked Leena.  "We can barely remember where the prison is."

"You'll have to think of something.  Improvise."

"We'll try," said Bit.  The line then went dead and he shoved the small black transmitter back into his pocket.  Leena and Bit then began to spring towards the general direction of the prison.  They eventually reached the stairs that led down into it, but they nearly fell when the whole base began to shake.  The battle had finally started.  The base shook again, but they both kept their balance as they made it into the prison area.  Leena swiped the keys from the hook near the door and they both began to run to where the others were locked up.  They soon reached the area and were now out of breath.  "What's going on?" asked Leon.  He and Risai were standing near the doors to their cells.  Taban was back on his bed, leaning against the wall.

"Our plan is falling apart," explained Leena as she quickly opened the doors to the cells.  Leon and Risai got out quickly, but Taban was having a few problems.  Both of his legs were injured and he was having a hard time walking.  He nearly collapsed but Bit and Leena caught him.  "Taban, what's wrong?" asked Bit.

"It's nothing," he assured them.  However, they all knew it wasn't nothing.  Fresh blood began to come from his leg wound from the fact that he had moved it too much.

"You can't walk in this condition," noted Risai, worry filling her voice.  They were all silent for a while, contemplating their next move.  They knew they had to get out, but how was the question.

"Bit, Leena," began Taban.  "You two get out of here.  I'm willing to bet they could really use your help out there."  The building shook once again to put emphasis to his words.  "I know the way out.  You two go now and hurry."

"But…" began Bit.

"I said go now.  Don't forget.  I'm also a commander in this war.  Go help them and get the hover cargo closer so that we can have an easier escape."  Bit and Leena nodded reluctantly and left Taban.  They then made a dash down the hall and disappeared up the stairs.  Leon and Risai got on both sides of Taban and helped him to his feet, his arms around their shoulders.

"Alright," began Risai.  "Just tell us where to go."

******

Bit and Leena eventually made it out onto the battlefield, only to find that the hover cargo was already pretty close by.  "Well, this saves us some trouble," said Bit.  They quickly ran to the hover cargo, finding the emergency door they had installed.  They quickly got in and went right for their zoids.  "Hey dad!" shouted Leena over a com-link, catching everyone's attention.

"Leena?" asked Doc in shock and surprise.

"What are you doing back?" asked Jamie.

"We're improvising," answered Bit, also using his com-link.

"Where are the others?" asked Miharu.

"They'll be coming shortly," answered Leena.  "Taban ordered us to come and help.  He said he knew how to get out, so Leon and Risai stayed with him."  Miharu gave a sigh of relief.  She was glad that Taban was alright.

"I suggest you get the med bay ready," said Bit.  "Taban needs some serious medical attention."

"I'm on it," said Jamie as he went off to do just that.

"We're ready," said Leena.

"Alright," said Doc, preparing the catapult.  In no time at all, both the Gun Sniper and the Liger Zero were out on the field.  The six warriors split up, going off in different directions to battle their enemy.

******

Inside the base, Leon, Risai, and Taban were slowly making their way down the halls, making sure not to shift Taban too much.  "Turn here," he instructed, his voice sounding tired and his eyes half closed.  This didn't go unnoticed.

"Taban…" whispered Risai in concern.

"I'm fine," he assured her, even though it was obviously a lie.  They turned the corner and began to head down another long hall.  Everyone was out of the base and on the battlefield, so there was nothing to worry about.  They wouldn't get caught.  However, Risai couldn't help but wonder where Rose was.  It was possible that she was on the battlefield as well, but for some reason, Risai doubted that.  Everything was turning out the way it did in her dream.  Their mission had been messed up big time and now they were improvising.  She knew that she would face off against Rose and part of her really wanted to.  In fact, with every fiber of her being, she wanted to be the one to finish Rose.  She touched the hilt of her sword, which they had picked up before leaving the prison.  Her handgun was at her other side.  She could do it.  She could destroy Rose.  "Turn here," instructed Taban as they obediently listened.  However, right now, Taban and Leon needed her.  Risai looked to Taban's exhausted face and watched as his breathing became hard.  He was panting.  "Stop," demanded Risai, causing Leon to stop and look to her.  Her eyes were on Taban.  "What's wrong?" she asked him.

"I…I said I'm…fine," he panted.

"You're exhausted," she told him.

"I…I just need to…get some rest.  We need to get…to the hover cargo."  His eyes were beginning to close all the way.  Risai noticed that his leg wound was leaving a trail of blood.

"Taban, just how much blood have you lost?" she asked him, her tone showing her worry.

"Not much," he told her, once again lying.  "My injuries aren't…that bad.  I'm…just…fine."  His breathing began to slow and his muscles relaxed.  His head lowered and his eyes stayed closed.  Risai and Leon nearly dropped him since he was now completely limp.

"Taban?" asked Risai, but he didn't respond.  He was unconscious.

"What now?" asked Leon, turning to Risai.  She thought it over.  She knew Taban would be safe with Leon.

"Take him," she instructed, handing Taban over to Leon, who was now supporting the man's weight.  He would have to half drag him out of the base.  Risai turned around and looked down the hallway.  She then turned back to the direction they had been heading.  "When you get to that corner, turn right and you should end up in the hanger.  From there, it should be easy to get out."

"Don't tell me, show me," he told her.  "You're coming with."

"No," she said softly.  "I'm afraid I'm not leaving with you."

"What?" he asked in disbelief.  Risai lifted her eyes to his, her cerulean orbs flaring with determination, but her expression showing her uncertainty.

"I have to finish this now," she told him.  "I have to end this war."

"What do you mean?" he asked her, confused.  It then hit him and he was overcome with worry.  "You can't," he told her.  "You'll get killed."

"I have to do this," she told him, her eyes showing it more than her voice.  "I have to pay her back for what she's done.  Rose can't have her way any longer.  If I don't do this, no one will.  I'm sorry Leon, but I'm staying here."

"I can't leave you."

"You have to.  The main point in this mission is to get Taban out.  I want you to do this for me.  Please save my brother and let me handle Rose.  It's time I finally put the past to rest, and the only way is to confront her myself."

"Risai…you can't."  He was honestly worried about her and he had every right to be.  She knew this was going to be a hard battle and there was a slim chance that she would actually survive, but she had to do it.

"I'm sorry Leon, but this is how it has to be," she told him sadly as she walked closer to him.

"But Risai, you…"  He was cut off by her lips against his as she kissed him.  He was surprised to say the least.  He kissed her back gently, savoring just how good it felt to feel her lips on his, knowing it was possibly the last time she'd be this close to him.  She eventually pulled away, her eyes slowly filling with tears.

"I love you Leon.  I'm not supposed to say things like that, but I do, so stay alive and I'll do the same, alright?"  And with that said, she turned and ran, not letting him get in another word.  He simply watched as she disappeared around the corner.

"I love you too, Risai," he whispered as he turned and began to head towards the hanger.

******

On the battlefield, things were really heating up.  "Risai and Leon better hurry up," said Bit.  "We can't hold them off forever."

"I know, but we have to try," said Leena.  They were currently battling a ton of Rev Raptors and Hellcats.  There were just too many enemy units.  In the hover cargo, they were all monitoring the battles, keeping track of their zoids.  "How are the battles going?" asked Mattei.

"Fine for now," said Doc.

"Rick and Meiyuu are holding them off right now and Bit and Leena are moving towards the base.  Naomi and Brad are also moving up to back up Bit and Leena." said Jamie.

"They better get Taban out soon," said Miharu.  "They weren't supposed to find out about our plan until Taban was safely out."

"Our plans never go right," said Jamie.  "You should know that by now."

"I know, and that's why we're improvising," said Miharu.  "I just hope they're alright in there.  I don't see Rose yet."  It was true.  The Kaijin wasn't out on the battlefield.  Miharu kept her eyes open and watched the hanger of the base.  She then saw two figures emerge from it and her eyes widened.  "It's Leon," she exclaimed as she began to make her way to he storage area of the hover cargo.  They would be coming through the emergency door soon.  She arrived just as Leon got into the hover cargo, dragging Taban with him.  He looked exhausted.  Miharu quickly ran to them.  "Leon, thank God you made it out."

"He needs help," stated Leon, handing Taban over to Miharu.  The red headed agent quickly realized who was missing.

"Where's Risai?" she asked.  Leon simply looked away from her.

"She stayed behind," he told her.  Miharu's eyes widened with fear.

"My God," she whispered.  "Don't tell me she went after Rose."  Leon didn't say anything, which answered her question easily.  "But why?"

"I don't know," he told her.  "She said she wanted to end this now.  She wants to put the past to rest."

"I understand," said Miharu sadly.  "Please don't lament.  I knew this would happen.  I knew very well that she wouldn't come out of that building, but I had to send her in.  Please understand that she may not come back at all."  Leon raised his shocked eyes to Miharu's.

"How can you say that?" he asked her.

"Because it's true.  Risai doesn't have much of a chance against Rose."

"She said she'd stay alive," insisted Leon, his voice slightly angry.  "I know she'll come back."  With that said, he walked off to get into his zoid and join the battle.  Miharu simply watched him, slightly shocked.

"It's amazing," she whispered to Taban, who was still unconscious.  "It's hard to believe what love can do to you."  She began to walk back into the main area of the hover cargo, dragging Taban with her.  After a while, she made it to the medical room where Jamie was waiting.  He had just gotten it ready.  He helped Miharu lay Taban down on one of the beds.  He went off to get a few more things while she stayed with the unconscious man.  She took note of the many injuries he had.  She reached out and ran a hand through his silver and blue colored hair.  He groaned a little and shifted, his eyes opening slowly.  He looked to Miharu, who gave him a small smile.

"I'm glad you're alright," she told him.

"Miharu…" he whispered.  "We…we need to get that machine."

"What?" she asked him.  He was wasting no time getting to business.

"In the Backdraft hanger…there's a door to the left.  It leads down into a lab area.  There's a machine there, I've seen it.  Just take the helmet and the black box hooked into the computer.  It should be a cube, about a foot long.  Please get it."  Miharu nodded to him and then stood up to get on with her assignment.  She passed Jamie in the hall.

"Take care of Taban until I get back," she told him.  Jamie seemed confused.

"But Miharu, where are…?"  She was already gone before he could finish.  He just carried the medical supplies into the room and decided to start bandaging Taban.

******

The base for the Backdraft was an insanely high complex.  Risai was currently on the sixth floor and she knew she still had a ways to go.  It was about at tall as the hover cargo.  She kept running up the stairwell, heading for the top floor.  She could feel it.  Rose was there.  This would be the last battle.  Risai would do her best to stay alive, but it was going to be hard.  She knew as well as Miharu and Taban did that Rose wasn't an average agent anymore.  She had been training since her disappearance and now she was probably stronger than even Taban.  Risai couldn't help but feel afraid.  She placed her hand on the hilt of her sword as she reached the top floor at last.  It was a one room floor.  The room was full of electronics.  There was a center area.  It looked like a zoid core, but it was different in some ways.  This appeared to be the room that supplied power to the base.  It was also one of the few brightly lit rooms.  Everything in the base was so dim.  Risai froze when her eyes landed on the woman she was looking for.  Rose stood near the main console, watching the outside battle on the screens.  The black haired girl slowly turned, her blue eyes as cold as ice, but her face was in a smirk.  "Welcome Risai," she said with false enthusiasm.

"Just shut up Rose," growled out Risai, her hand clenching her sword tighter.  "It's time to end this."

"I agree.  It's time I get my revenge."

"Revenge?" questioned Risai, confused.  It then occurred to Rose that she hand never told Risai her reasons.

"That's right," growled Rose.  "You took him away.  Rainer died because of you!  I'll never forgive you!"

"This is about Rainer?"

"You took the one man I ever loved away from me."

"He was never yours to begin with."

"He could have been if you hadn't interfered.  I'll make sure you feel the same kind of pain that I felt.  I'll kill them all, every last one of those people out there.  However, I'll start with you."

"Very well," said Risai as she drew her sword.  "It's time we ended this."  Rose smirked and drew her sword as well.  At almost the exact same time, they took off, heading right for one another.  They both swung, their swords clashing, the sound resonating off the walls.  They were both trying to press the other back, but it wasn't working.  The two of them were equal.  They both jumped away and then went at it again, their swords clashing.  This led to many different clashes as they both dodged and swung, matching hit for hit.  Their footwork was elegant and it was more like a dance than a battle, even though both of them were flaring with resent and determination.  Each had their own reasons for doing this and those reasons weren't all that different right now.  They both wanted revenge.  Rose jumped back, landing on her toes and then quickly stepped forward, catching Risai off guard.  Risai cried out slightly as Rose's sword cut her down her left arm.  She staggered back a little, but soon raised her sword and swung at Rose.  However, she missed.  Rose smiled as she took the opportunity to strike.  She swung hard and knocked the sword from Risai's hand, sending it spiraling through the air and towards the far wall.  Risai watched it and then turned her glare to Rose, who simply laughed.  This battle was going to be much tougher than Risai had originally thought.

******

On the battlefield, things were still basically the same.  Leon had now joined the fray, but they were still outnumbered.  "This is hopeless!" shouted Bit.  "There's just too many of them."

"We can't give up," reminded Leena.  "We have to keep going.  This has to be the last battle."

"I know, but we're outnumbered here!"

In the hover cargo, Doc and Mattei were in the main control room.  The door soon opened and Jamie walked in, half carrying Taban in with him.  Taban was conscious and bandaged now, but his legs still hurt.  Doc and Mattei turned and watched the two of them walk in.  Taban appeared to be half awake, but it was enough.  Jamie walked over and set Taban in one of the chairs.

"Taban, it's good to have you back," said Doc.  Taban allowed a smile to grace his face.

"We've really missed you," added Mattei.

"It's good to be back," he told them.  Even though he seemed tired, his blue eyes were aware and full of life.  He looked to the battle and heard Bit complaining.

"This is hopeless!  There's hundreds of them!" shouted the cocky blond.  Taban quickly got on a com-link with the warriors on the battlefield.

"Don't complain," he told his friends.  They were all shocked at hearing his voice echo through their zoids.  The seven warriors didn't say anything.  "Don't you remember anything I told you about battling?" he asked them.  "It doesn't matter how many you're up against.  These men are novices.  They're simple soldiers who know nothing about real battles.  You can win this.  Remember, all of you are highly skilled warriors.  It's the skill that matters, not the number."

"Taban…" whispered Bit.

"It's good to have you back," said Leena.  "We've really missed you."

"Another beautiful speech," said Rick with some humor in his voice.

"No one could have said it better," added Meiyuu.

"It's just what we needed," said Brad.

"We're not about to give up," assured Naomi.

"I'm glad you're alright," said Leon, bringing a smile to Taban's face.

"Leon, you need to stay alive, understand?" he told the warrior.

"What?" questioned Leon.

"Just stay alive, alright?  It'll be worth it."

"I never planned on dying.  I have too much left that I want to do."  Taban smiled and turned the com-links off.  He leaned back in his chair and looked out the window.  He knew he shouldn't even be out of bed, but he needed to say something.  He had gone without lecturing for far too long.  He soon saw Miharu run from the base, carrying a helmet and a black box.  Taban smiled.  'Good job Miharu.  Everything will turn out, you'll see.  It's been too long.  I'm tired of these battles.'  He watched as Miharu got to the emergency door.  However, a few minutes later, she ran out and headed back to the base, drawing a confused look from Taban.  He watched for a little while and then heard a familiar roar from a familiar zoid.  His zoid, the Panther, walked out of the base with Miharu at the controls.  He smiled, his eyes shining.  She had saved his zoid for him.

"That's quite a girl you've got there, Taban," said Doc slyly, drawing the older man's attention.  Taban looked startled at the proposition.  He had never before considered Miharu as "his girl".  He smiled slightly, a small blush coloring his cheeks.  It was true.  He knew Miharu was his and no one else's.  He had known her all his life and he loved her more than anything.  He watched as she loaded his zoid into the hover cargo and then took her Phoenix out.  She was heading out into the battle now to take care of the air threat.  Taban simply smiled.  'She really is amazing.'

On the battlefield, the warriors were filled with confidence.  With the wise words from Taban, they felt more than ready to finish this battle.  The Backdraft base was taking in some serious damage, but that was alright for now.  As long as it didn't collapse, it didn't matter.  Bit was much more relaxed now, no longer complaining.  His mind was on something else.

"Hey Leena?" he asked her.

"What?" she questioned.

"When this is all over, there's something I need to ask you about, alright?  So we both have to make it out of this alive."

"We will," she told him.  They continued their battle, taking down more of the enemy zoids, completely unaware of the battle going on in the building before them.

******

Risai cried out as Rose's blade cut into her again and then again, bringing new gashes to her arms and her back.  Risai jumped back and fell to her knees, whipping out her handgun and aiming it right at Rose, but not pulling the trigger.  Rose simply smirked at the action.  "What?" she asked Risai.  "Are you going to shoot me?"

"That's the plan," said Risai, preparing to pull the trigger.

"You won't hit me," declared Rose.

"We'll see about that."  Risai pulled the trigger, but Rose used her sword to block.  The blade broke in half and Rose quickly threw the hilt towards Risai.  The young agent cried out as the broken blade pierced her left shoulder.  She quickly grabbed it and pulled it out, tossing the now bloody weapon to the side.  She glared at Rose, her eyes showing her pain.

"Let's face it Risai," said Rose as she drew her own handgun.  "You're no match for me."  They were now both being held at gun point.  Both were about to pull the trigger.  They then shifted their aim as each pulled the trigger at the same time.  Both guns were knocked from their hands.  Rose then ran for Risai and while the younger agent was still on her knees, Rose kicked her hard in the side.  Risai fell to the ground and clutched her know throbbing side.  She slowly pushed herself up.  Rose was standing insanely close.  Risai took the advantage and quickly tripped Rose with her leg.  She then went for the broken sword and quickly stabbed it into Rose's shoulder.  Risai moved away as Rose cried out.  She reached to the dagger and angrily pulled it out, discarding it.  Risai was still backing away, holding her injured side.  A few of her ribs were obviously broken.  Rose stood up and began to approach her, holding her now bleeding shoulder.

"You'll pay for that," she told Risai.  She moved quickly and brought her foot down on Risai's ankle.  She hadn't broken any bones, but that would leave a sprain.  Risai hissed with the pain.  She looked out of the corner of her eye and saw her gun.  In one quick motion, she went for it, grabbing it and then spinning around to face Rose.  She pulled the trigger, but Rose moved enough so that it would only graze her side.  Forgetting about the pain, Risai stood up and kicked Rose hard in the stomach, sending the woman flying across the room.  She landed on her back and stood up, glaring at Risai, who now slumped against the wall, right under a window.  Rose stood up and held her hurting stomach.  She looked to the computers behind her and then smiled.

"Risai, I know for a fact that you don't care if you die," said Rose as she turned her back on Risai, who was still clutching her gun.  She knew for a fact the gun was empty now.  She had used a lot of the shots up on her way to the room.  There had been a few men left in the base.  "So," continued Rose, pushing a large button on the panel in front of her.  "How about I kill you slowly…but first…I want to see your reaction."

"My reaction?" questioned Risai, confused.

"Just watch and see what happens."  Risai pushed herself up and turned to look out the window.  She was kneeling, her hands pressed against it.  She could see the zoids below and her eyes landed on the red Blade Liger.  Leon was fighting off a few of the enemy zoids and was holding his own well.

"I hope you kissed him goodbye, Risai."  Rose pressed another button on the console.  Risai watched as a panel near the window opened, revealing a large hybrid cannon.  "Say goodbye to your precious Leon!"  Her fist came down on another button.

Outside on the field, Miharu was monitoring the other battles, helping if she was needed.  She hadn't planned on going outside at all at first.  However, she felt she had to.  She looked to the base, praying that Risai would walk out, but it wasn't about to happen and she knew it.  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something emerge from the base.  It was a large hybrid cannon.  "What's going on?" questioned Miharu to herself.  She went in a little lower and watched as the cannon aimed downwards slightly.  She followed its sight and her eyes landed on the red Blade Liger.  Miharu gripped her controls and swooped down as the cannon began to charge.  'I have to make it.  I won't let you die, Leon.  You're too important to Risai.'

Risai watched as the beam fired, filling the entire area with a blinding light.  She couldn't see what had happened, but she saw a large explosion.  "Leon!" she yelled in despair.  This was just like her dream.  Now that the light had cleared, all she saw was smoke.  She slumped to the floor, her forehead pressed against the cold brick wall.  Tears began to fall from her closed eyes, rolling down her face and falling gently to the cold floor beneath her.  He was gone.  The only other man she had ever truly loved was gone, taken from her by Rose, who was now laughing.

"It's a shame," said Rose in false sympathy.  "He could have lived longer if it hadn't been for you.  You are destined to be alone for the rest of your life, Risai."  The young agent slowly got to her feet, her head still down.  Her body still ached from her broken ribs to her sprained ankle to the many flesh wounds she had.  She turned to Rose, her head still down.

"I swear you'll pay for this," growled Risai.  She began to walk towards Rose, going slowly at first.  Rose simply laughed and reached for her discarded gun.  It wasn't far from her.  She quickly lifted it and aimed it at Risai.

******

On the battlefield, everyone had stopped fighting.  They had watched as the hybrid cannon had fired, leaving the whole area blanketed in a white light.  The cannon had been aiming for Leon.

"Leon!" shouted Leena as the explosion rang out.

"Leon!" shouted Doc from the hover cargo.  They all watched in shock and fear as the red Blade Liger was absorbed in the explosion.  When the light cleared, smoke filled he area where Leon had been.  Leena could feel the tears welling up in her eyes at the thought of losing her brother.  She hung her head sadly.  "Leon…" she whispered.  "He's gone."

"Look," said Bit, shocked.  "What is that?"  They all looked to the area and saw a pink colored shield.  The smoke cleared and they all saw Miharu and her Phoenix standing in front of the Blade Liger, the shield up.

"Thanks Miharu," said Leon, relieved that she had gotten there in time.  The shield fell and Miharu smiled.

"What, did you think I'd let you die?  You need to stay alive," she told him.  "This isn't over yet."  He nodded to her and they both returned to the battle, which was finally going in their favor.

******

"It's such a shame," said Rose, "that both of you will die here today."  Risai began to sprint and at that moment, Rose pulled the trigger on her gun.  The bullet pierced Risai through her stomach, passing all he way through, but Risai didn't flinch or stagger.  She kept sprinting, going faster.  Rose was shocked and before she knew it, Risai was up in her face, her cold blue eyes holding Rose's.  Her hand shot out and grabbed Rose's wrist, crushing it enough to force the gun from her hand.  Risai quickly caught it with her other hand as Rose began to back away.  Risai's cold cerulean eyes never once left the other agent.  She took the gun and aimed it at her sword that had been forgotten early on in the battle.  She pulled the trigger, hitting the hilt of her sword directly so that it was sent into the air.  It was falling towards Risai.  The agent easily caught it in her other hand and then ran at Rose, her eyes flaring with vengeance, sorrow, regret, along with many other emotions.  In one quick motion, Risai thrust the sword forwards, shoving it all the way through Rose's stomach.  She released the hilt and jumped back.  Rose's eyes were wide as a pain she had never before felt coursed through her body.  She fell back, the sword still through her.  She was now sitting on the ground, her eyes shocked and focused on Risai.  The younger agent just now realized how much pain she was in.  Her broken ribs were cutting her and her bullet wound was leaking crimson.  She had a cut on her cheek and a large one down her back and both arms.  She had many flesh wounds, plus her sprained ankle.  She began to pant as the pain became unbearable.  The handgun slipped from her grasp.  She could have shot at Rose to begin with, but the other woman was incredibly good at dodging bullets.  Rose lowered her head, confused.

"How?" she asked, her voice just above a whisper.  "How is it that you won?  You were fighting for the same reasons I was.  How?  I don't get it.  What's the difference?  What's the difference?!"  She appeared to be frustrated.

"There's a big difference Rose," said Risai as she approached the older woman.  "And this is it."  Rose closed her eyes as Risai's hand came towards her, but she felt nothing.  There was no contact at all.  Rose opened her eyes and saw Risai's hand there, open and inviting.

"Give me your hand," said Risai, her voice emotionless.

"What?" asked Rose.

"Don't you get it?  That core over there has been damaged.  This whole room is going to blow soon and you'll go with it."

"Why do you care?"

"Look, do you want to die?"  Rose simply turned away.

"Just leave me," she told Risai.  "I've done too much.  This is how it should be.  I don't want to keep going like this."

"Just shut up and give me your hand."  It was silent for a while as the foundation shook.

"This base is falling apart," said Rose.  "Pretty soon, this whole building will be nothing but a pile of rubble."  It was true.  Pieces of the ceiling were already starting to fall.  "Go Risai.  There are people out there waiting for you."  Risai still didn't move.  "You know, if our positions had been reversed, I wouldn't have hesitated to kill you."

"That's the difference between you and me, Rose.  I won't kill unless I have to.  We were friends once, remember?  I won't let it go."

"Even after all I've done, you're still willing to let me live."  She laughed slightly, but it hurt her bleeding chest.  "Leave Risai.  I don't want to live any longer."

"What?"

"I'm tired of fighting, so let me rest.  I've lived for nearly 200 years.  I think that's long enough.  I'm tired and I'd like to rest now, if you don't mind.  However, you're still the same.  You're still young, Risai, and have so much left to do.  Go.  Go be with your friends.  The more time you waste here, the sooner your wounds will claim your life.  Try and get out while you still can."  The core began to spark and electrical currents were popping the screens on the monitors.  "Go now!"

"But I…"

"I said go, Risai!"  Hesitantly, Risai nodded and limped to the door, going as quickly as she could.  She would have a lot of floors to get through before she could make it outside and her injuries were causing her a great deal of pain.  She made it to the door as the core exploded, absorbing the entire top floor and knocking her off her feet, sending her down the stairs and onto the hard floor below.  She cried out and clutched her aching side as she slowly sat up, staring at the now fiery room.  "Goodbye Rose," she said as she slowly stood up.  The battle was finally over.  The war had been won.  Now all she had to do was get out of the building before it collapsed, but what was left for her out there?  Leon, the first man she had loved since Rainer, was gone.  What did she have left to live for?

***************************************************************************************************************************

MAN!  Do you have ANY idea how long that took?  That was…like…8,091 words long!  That's more than I've ever written for a fanfic chapter!  I must be insane…never mind.

Anyway, stick around for the last chapter.  It'll be up soon, I promise, and then we must talk about a sequel…that is…if you want another.

I'm only here to please…and write…more for writing.

I have more to work on now.  Please check out the prequel, seeing as how I updated it too^.^  I have found my happy medium!  Yay me!

Until next time!

Audi^.^


	30. A New Day

Well, this is it.  This is a big thing, you know.  This is my Christmas present to you people and the last chapter of the story.

Thank you to those who have stuck with me.  It's meant a lot to me, and thanks for putting up with me^.^  Especially when I didn't update.  Thank you everyone.

Also, because this is the last chapter, it will also be a SONG chapter, and the song I picked is "A New Day" by Celine Dion, but not the fast version.  If you've listened to the CD, it's number fifteen and it's the one that doesn't have a lot of background music…okay, it's just the SLOW and mellow version of the song.

Now, the dramatic conclusion to this epic romance.

Disclaimer:  I do not own Zoids, but I do own the agents.  Also, I do not own the song "A New Day Has Come" by Celine Dion.

Happy holidays, minna-san!

*********************************************************************************************************************

(A new day has come

A new day has…come….)

The building was collapsing.  Pieces of the ceiling were raining down everywhere and the foundation shook from the attacks coming from outside.  Not to mention the fact that the top room had gone up in smoke, along with the general of the Backdraft's army.  Rose was now gone.  The Backdraft had no reason left to fight.  Risai was slowly walking down the stairs, leaning against the wall for support, her emotions unreadable.  She was leaving a trail of crimson behind her.

(I was waiting for so long

For a miracle to come

Everyone told me to be strong

Hold on and don't shed a tear)

Risai walked like a ghost, having almost no life left in her, nothing to keep her going.  She was on the third floor or so.  Suddenly, a large explosion shook the building and she lost her balance, sending her tumbling down the stairs.  She cried out as she hit the hard metal floor, now lying face down.  With a great amount of effort, she pushed herself back up and then slowly stood, needing the wall to help her.  She had to keep going.  There were people waiting for her.  However, the idea of leaving wasn't first in her mind.  Leon was gone.  Rose had killed him.  What was the point in going on if she would never see him again?  At least if she died, she'd be with him.  Aslo, even if he was alive, she still couldn't be with him.  Despite that fact, she continued on.

She made it to the second floor of the building, but she finally succumbed to her wounds.  She had a large gash down her back, along with random cuts on her arms.  Some of her ribs were broken and her ankle was sprained.  The most obvious wound was the bullet hole through her stomach.  She was feeling dizzy.  She had lost too much blood.  She made it to the far wall and collapsed against it, sliding down it to the point where she was sitting on the ground.  She was breathing hard and her head was down.

"Forgive me," she whispered in a strained voice.  "I can't go on anymore."

(Through the darkness and good times

I knew I'd make it through….

And the world thought I had it all

But I was waiting for you)

On the first floor, the far wall was blown apart, revealing three figures standing in the smoke of the explosion.  Leena and Bit, followed by Leon, entered the room, looking around.  There were stairs across the room.

"Let's go," said Leena.  "We need to hurry."  A piece of the ceiling fell near Bit, startling him slightly.

"This place is really falling apart," he noted.  All of them had seen the top of the base get blown off, so the three of them had decided to come in and look for Risai.

"Come on," said Leon, running over to the stairwell, followed by his sister and Bit.  They quickly ran up the stairs of the falling building.  They got to the second floor and looked around.  Leon's eyes fell on Risai, who was sitting against the wall, slumped over, her eyes closed.

"Risai!" he shouted to her.  The three of them began to run to her, but she didn't respond.  "Risai!" called Leon again, trying to get a response from her.  She twitched slightly, her mind becoming aware.  'Am I hallucinating?' she pondered.  'I must be hearing things.  That voice sounded like…'

"Risai!"

Her eyes snapped open.  She turned to her right to see Leon, Bit, and Leena.  They all knelt by her, but her eyes stayed on Leon.  They were full of shock and relief.

"Leon…" she whispered in awe.  "You're alive…"

"Of course I am," he told her softly.

"But I thought…I saw your zoid…get hit with that beam and I…"  Her eyes were tearing up.  He was still alive.  Rose hadn't killed him.  If she had known that sooner, she wouldn't have been so reckless in the battle.  She wouldn't have allowed herself to get shot.

"We need to get out of here," said Bit seriously.  The building shook again as bigger pieces of the ceiling began falling down.

"Let's go," said Leena, standing up.  Risai tried to do the same, but her ribs suddenly ached and her ankle throbbed.  Not to mention the hole in her stomach was leaking out crimson.  She cried out in pain as she tried to stand and failed miserably.

"What's wrong?" asked Leon, the concern crystal clear in his voice.  Risai moved her hand away from her stomach to reveal the bullet hole.  All three warriors gasped in worry and shock.

"My ankle is sprained and a few of my ribs are broken as well," she said through her pain.  Another explosion shook the building.  "You three should just leave," she told them.  "Get out while you still can."

"Are you insane?" asked Bit.  "We can't leave you here."  Risai tried to get up again, but quickly gripped her throbbing side.  The pain was too much.

"It's over," she told them.  "I've reached my limit.  Please, get out while you still can.  I won't last much longer."  They said nothing as they kept their eyes on her.  Leon put on a strong face and reached out to her, his eyes flashing with determination.  He slid his arms under her and began to lift her up.  Risai cried out in pain.

(Hush…now…

I see a light in the sky

Oh…it's almost blinding me

I can't believe I've been touched by an angel 

With love…)

Risai's face was twisted in pain as Leon held her in his arms.  The movement had hurt her side where her ribs were broken.  He looked down at her with an apologetic look before turning to Bit and Leena.

"Come on," he said to them.  "We need to get out of here."  They both nodded and the three of them began to run back down the stairs and to the hole in the wall.  It had been a while since Risai had been outside and the light hurt her eyes.  She squinted as Leon took her from the dark base and into the bright afternoon.  The soldiers were still fighting.

"This is pointless now," said Risai.  "Rose is dead."

"We need to end this," said Bit as he ran to his stationed Liger.  Leena got to her Gun Sniper as Leon took Risai to his Blade Liger.  The warriors all got in and went back to the battle.  Risai was sitting in Leon's lap as he maneuvered his zoid while trying not to hurt her.  He pressed in a COM button and looked to Risai.

"Do you want to tell them?" he asked with a small smile.

"Could you do it…please?" she asked, her voice sounding weak.  It hurt too much to talk right now.  Leon nodded and then turned his attention to the battle.

(Let the rain come down and wash away my tears

Let it fill my soul and drown my fears

Let it shatter the walls for a new sun

A new day has come…

A new day has…come…)

"Stop the battle!" he shouted over his com-link, which echoed over the battlefield.  "The war is over!"  Surprisingly, both sides stopped fighting, the sudden exclamation catching their attention.  "The General of the Backdraft army is gone!"  Leon didn't even have to ask them to surrender.  The Backdraft soldiers opened the cockpits to their zoids and stood up, placing their hands in the air.  The warriors of the ZBC were inwardly celebrating now, taking pleasure in the ending of this pointless war.  With just their small group, they had stopped the war, and they owed a lot of that to Risai.  She had stopped Rose on her own.  This was truly a wonderful day.  The war was finally over.  The leader of the Backdraft was gone and peace could once again settle over Zi.  Risai smiled as these thoughts crossed her mind.  It was over.  The fight was over and she could finally rest.  She felt her body giving out and she was slipping into the darkness, but she willing allowed it to come to her.  It had just been too long.  She needed rest.

"Risai?" asked Leon, noticing that her eyes were closing.  She simply smiled as they closed completely.  After so long, she could finally have a decent rest.  She was so tired.

"Risai?" called Leon, now becoming worried.  She didn't respond to him at all.  She was absolutely and completely unconscious, taking delight in every second of it.

(Where it was dark now there's light

Where there was pain now there's joy

Where there was weakness I found my strength

All in the eyes of a boy)

Risai could feel herself being pulled from her state of unconsciousness and being forced into the light.  Her vision was blurred.  She didn't know how long it had been since the battle, but she didn't care.  She was alive still and she would keep on living.  She turned to her right and saw Leon standing there.  He was looking down at her, a small smile on his face.

"I'm glad you're alright," he said to her.  She couldn't answer him.  There was a respirator hooked to her, covering her mouth.  She was still so tired.  How long had it been since the battle?  Perhaps a few days, maybe a week?  She didn't know right now.  All that mattered was the fact that they had all made it out alive.  She would get to see them all again.  It was strange just how much she had changed in the past few months.  So much had happened, but it had all been good.  She had rediscovered so much, and she had met Leon.  Because of him, she had learned so much and she thanked him for budding into her life.

Her eyes began to close again, but his face was the last thing she saw before slipping back into the darkness.  She'd live through this.  She'd stay alive for him.  She loved him.

(Hush…now…

I see a light in the sky

Oh

It's almost blinding me

I can't believe I've been touched by an angel

With love…)

It had been nearly two weeks since the war ended.  The members of the ZBC had succeeded in arresting all of the Backdraft men involved and had been assigned to clean up the remains of the war.  It had taken two weeks, but everyone was finally ready to return to their normal lives.  The members of the three teams were currently standing outside the base, waiting.

"Where are they?" asked Jamie, looking at his watch.  "They're late."

"Well, we can't leave without saying goodbye," noted Naomi.  "It wouldn't be right."  She stood next to Brad, but something was different.  On her finger was a ring, and a pricy looking one at that.  It was an engagement ring.  Not long after the battle, he had proposed to her and she had said yes.  This was slowly getting on Bit's nerves.  He had yet to propose to Leena.  He fingered the small box in his pocket and decided that this was as good a time as any.  He turned to her.

"Leena?" he asked.

"Yes?" she questioned back.

"Remember how I said that after the battle there was something I needed to ask you?"

"Yes…"  She watched as Bit got down on one knee and pulled a box from his pocket.  Leena's eyes widened.

"Leena, will you do me this honor and become my wife?" he asked, opening the box.  Leena's eyes sparkled as she saw the diamond ring sitting in the black velvet box.

"Oh Bit, of course I will!" she said happily as he stood up.

"Really?" he asked out of pure joy.

"Really!" she shouted as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.  Everyone around them smiled, happy to see that the two pilots had finally made their relationship permanent.

(Let the rain come down and wash away my tears

Let it fill my soul and drown my fears

Let it shatter the walls for a new sun

A new day has come

A new day has…come…)

"Finally," said a familiar male voice.  They all turned to see Taban and Miharu walking from the base and over to them.  "I was wondering when that was coming."  The agents seemed a bit different from before.  They wore normal clothing for once.  Taban was dressed in black pants, still, but he wore a white shirt and a light blue jacket.  Miharu had on a pair of blue jeans and a navy colored shirt, accompanied by a tan colored over shirt.  They both wore sunglasses, though.  They had a few bags with them.  The strangest thing was the way they were standing.  Taban had his arm around Miharu's shoulder, holding her closely to him.  The teams had known all along that there was something between them, but never had the two agents been so open with it.

"I'm glad it's all finally over," said Miharu.  "It's been such a long time."

"What's with you two?" asked Rick, seeming slightly confused, which wasn't really that different from any other time.  "You both look…I don't know…normal."  Meiyuu hit him gently upside the head at the idiocy of his comment.  They all laughed softly.

"We'll take that as a compliment," said Taban with a smile.  "It feels good to be normal."

"After two hundred years, I had forgotten what this was like," commented Miharu.  The two of them shared a secretive smile, one that the others weren't entirely sure of.  The two agents were talking kind of strangely, as if there conversation wasn't at all about the war.

"Just what are you two talking about?" asked Mattei, speaking for all of them.  The two agents turned to each other and then nodded once.  Some things would never change.  That was always how they agreed on things.  Taban moved his hand to his shades and removed them, keeping his eyes closed for a moment.  When he opened them, he smiled widely, noticing the shocked expressions on their faces.  Miharu did the same as she tucked her sun glasses away in her pocket.

"Your…eyes," pointed out Leon.  "They're…"

"Different," finished Doc.  Taban and Miharu only beamed more at the sight of their friends' confusion.  Taban's eyes were a beautiful emerald color and Miharu's were a deep brown.

"What does this mean?" asked Meiyuu.

"It means we're free," said Miharu.  "We can finally rest.  Our ties with the ZBC have finally been severed."

"Your…ties?" asked Rick.  Jamie's eyes were the first to widen in surprise.

"You mean…" he began, "you're no longer agents?"  Everyone stared at them in shock.

"That's right," said Taban.  "We've been changed back.  We're now your everyday twenty one year olds."  Everyone smiled at this.  The agents were free from the ZBC, free to live their lives.  Leon couldn't suppress the smile that pulled at his lips.  He knew what this meant and he was happier than any of them.

"What about Risai?" asked Leena, noticing the younger agent's absence.  Taban shot Leon a smile before answering.

"Let's just say she's still my little sister," he told them.  "By about two years."  He glanced over his shoulder and smiled.

(Pretty music/music without any words)

Taban and Miharu moved out of the way, revealing Risai, who was now walking from the ZBC base.  She had on a sun dress.  It was sky blue with white roses embroidered on it.  This was the first time in years that she had worn anything resembling a dress.  It fell to her knees.  Her hair was blowing in the slight breeze.  Her eyes were still the same cerulean blue they had been before.  A smile was on her face as she walked towards them.  She saw her brother and Miharu standing to the side, both smiling.  She was glad that they could be together without having to worry about the rules.  However, she was happy for another reason.  Her eyes landed on Leon, and she stopped walking.  He wore a smile on his face as he saw her and she developed one on her own.  She knew it.  He was hers now.  She could finally be with him freely.  She was free to love him.  She broke into a run and began to head for him.  She craved his embrace.  She wanted him to hold her and show her that she wasn't dreaming.

(Let the rain come down and wash away my tears

Let it feel my soul and drown my fears)

Leon opened his arms as Risai ran to him, wrapping her arms around his neck as he embraced her.  He held her tightly, not wanting to ever let her go and she felt the same.  They could finally have a relationship.  They could be together without restraint.  Leon already knew that she loved him and he felt the same.  They slowly loosened their embrace, but kept their position.  Risai was now able to see his face, his eyes holding hers.  She could see the love in his eyes and she knew she held the same emotions in her own blue orbs.

(Let it shatter the walls for a new sun

A new day has come…

A new day…has…

Come…)

Risai lifted herself up as Leon bent down slightly, their lips meeting in a hard and passionate kiss.  This was something they had been craving.  A real kiss, one that held everything they felt in it.  They didn't care that everyone was watching them.  All they knew was each other and that's all they cared about.  They eventually broke it and simply smiled, now turning to the rest of their group.  Leon's arm was around her shoulders.  Leena and Bit, along with Rick and Meiyuu, Brad and Naomi, and Taban and Miharu, all stood the same way, smiles on all of their faces.

"Well," began Taban, "I guess we'll need to organize a team."  Miharu nodded to him.

"Or…" began Naomi, giving Leon a small, all knowing smile.  "You three could always join our team."  Leon returned Naomi's smile, knowing exactly why she had asked.  The two of them were very good friends and it was nice to know that she wanted him to be happy.

"That's a great idea," said Miharu and she knew Taban agreed.  "It'd be great to be on your team."

"Now that that's settled," began Doc, "what do you say we get going?"

"Sounds good to us," said Rick.  "Let's all go out to dinner."

"It's mid afternoon," pointed out Bit.

"Yeah, but I'm hungry," he complained with a smile.

"It's your own fault you skipped lunch," chided Miharu.

"Well, yeah, but…"

"I think going out for dinner would be a great idea," said Taban, saving Rick from a losing argument.  The warriors all began to make their way down the road to the hanger to get their zoids.  Leon and Risai walked further behind, Leon's arm still around her shoulders.  Risai looked up at him, her smile still playing on her soft lips.  This was what living was to her.  She had everything she had ever wanted.  She loved Leon more than life itself.  She was finally free, left to live a normal life.  Two hundred years had been too long for her.  She wanted a break.  She looked up at the blue sky above them.  It was a perfect day to begin her brand new life, free of everything…of the pain.  She felt alive.  Open.  Free.  She was happy.

'Most people would say that this was the end

But it's really only the beginning.'

*********************************************************************************************************************

It's done…and it was so much fun writing it.  I enjoyed every minute of it.

There isn't much to say.  It's odd knowing that a fic is done, but here's the thing, so LISTEN UP!

I'll ONLY do this if you pay attention.

I could write a SEQUEL, but I want to know who would read it.

I want at least TWO people please, or I may even settle for one, but you'd have to promise me that you'd at least READ it first!  I don't want a repeat of my DREAM WEAVER sequel…not that you know what that was…

ANYWAY, please get back to me on that.

If you want to know what it would be called, I'll probably call it "Right Here Waiting" or "A Hero's Obsession".

Here's a small description:  It'll take place six months after the war and someone from the distant past shows up surprisingly, which may pose a problem.  That, and a certain someone will escape from jail…

Care to take any guesses at pieces of the plot line?

Anyway, if you want me to write it, tell me, and I'll promise to update more than once every two months.  I could probably update at least once every few weeks.

And finally, thanks to everyone who read this fic, even if you didn't last this long.  It's been a pleasure^.^  I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as you did and if you wanna see the real conclusion, you'll have to convince me to write my sequel^.^

Until that time comes, I'll be seeing ya!

Audi^.^


End file.
